Till My Last Breath
by Virgo with Cheer
Summary: This is a story of Last times. And then First times. And then those times you want to either bash your own or someone else's skulls into a wall time. They all aren't always so clear cut.
1. Chapter 0: Last Breath

_The Evil Within/ Virgo with Cheer depending on your viewing platform, proudly presents another new story! I don't know why I do this to myself, but this idea just wouldn't leave me and it'd be a shame to keep it cooped up in my brain. Who knows, maybe this one'll reach the top of a fandom like my other popular story? I dream big._

_Lets see if you all agree for what I want this fic to be._

"Regular speech"

'_Internal speaking/thoughts'_

"YELLING"

"Attack Names/Spells/Chants"

_Chapter 0_

Last Breath

"MIDORIYA!"

"Detroit- SUMAAASH!"

The ground cratered and muscles strained, both from pressure and ungodly manipulations.

Despite the sheer strength present from both party's, it was quickly becoming clear what the outcome would be.

"THAT WAS WEAKER THAN BEFORE!" Muscular roared as he began to press his fist downward. His thoughts were plain to see from his massive grin. Just a little more, just a little more-!

"...Fine...it's FINE!" Muscular was barely able to make out from under his fist, before the kid he was currently crushing started yelling again.

"I...will not let him pass me! So RUN!" Izuku screamed to the little Water Horse Runt, Kouta, behind him, daring to turn away from his death.

"This kid..." Muscular muttered for a moment himself, before his shit eating grin got even bigger.

"MAN, YOU'RE THE BEST!" And then the muscles doubled, pushing the kid up to his ankles in the dense rock and cratering the rest surrounding them.

Muscular grinned as he felt the blood burst from the kid's strained arms, even as he called for him to 'shut up'. WHAT A RIOT! Muscular LIVED for this feeling!

Finally though, Muscular had enough. With an instant thought, legs burst from flesh and expanded, and his fist becoming nothing more than tons of meat to crush the brat who thought he was strong.

"SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!" Was called out with a grin that would be accurately called bloodthirsty.

SCENE CHANGE: Midoriya

_' A Hero... can always break out of a tough spot!' _The words of All Might filtered through Izuku's head in that moment, whether for their message or from head trauma, but even they didn't help much in this literal tight spot. Izuku had to put everything he had towards keeping Muscular from enveloping and crushing him whole, leaving teeth clenched and blood to drip from the side of his mouth from the sheer pressure.

Visions of his mother went through his head, Aizawa-sensei having to tell Mom the news, that she'll never see her son again...

_'Mom...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' _Izuku gasped in his mind, eyes now shut in concentration, barely keeping up with the pressure now.

_'All Might! All Might!' _Izuku Midoriya wasn't going to become the next Symbol of Peace! He couldn't even carry All For One for a year... He failed...

The muscle began to creep closer to Izuku's face as his arms buckled for a moment, making Muscular give a sharp cry of cruel glee.

"I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU!"

The ground broke before Izuku did though, but with it, he finally felt One For All slip his grip, even if only for a second.

This... was i-!

"St...STOP IT!"

Water soaked both Muscular and Izuku in an instant, making Muscular's massive figue flinch over, and reawakening Izuku form his brush with death. What!

It seemed Muscular was also taken aback, as he stopped crushing the Hero-In-Training for a moment, allowing Izuku all to literal breathing room for a moment, as well as letting Izuku lock eyes with the person who saved him... Kouta! With dripping hands! Izuku told him to run! To save himself! Not...not come back and throw his own life away...

"Hah? Water? You ARE the little Water Horse Brat. Didn't know for sure earlier, what with how wimpy you were acting. This'll be so much more fun than some random kid now!" Muscular jeered to the air, confused by the interruption at first, but happy with this new development. He was expecting a shower of blood, not cold water. There could easily still be both though!

"St...STOP IT!" Kouta shouted, bringing a light to Izuku's eyes as he too realized who was shouting. Stupid concussion...

"Kota!" Midoriya tried to scream, but only coming out as a harsh whisper. He had to save Kota!

"Hey! Later, kay! I'll kill you later! Just wait a-uh?" Muscular yelled at the boy before feeling something move beneath him. The kid was still trying to stay alive?

An arm began to push back, starting to crackle like a live wire. Soon another arm came to the ground, bracing the body as it rose like a man possessed. Kota gasped at seeing the badly injured form rise.

Kouta however wasn't the only one shocked at the miraculous recovery.

"As if-!" Izuku, no. Deku growled as he began to force himself to his knees, feeling the weight above him and how he would not fall like this with someone to save!

"Wait, are you getting stronger?" Muscular yelled in disbelief as he felt himself be pushed back. Even with adding new muscles every few seconds, he was being pushed back. How, HOW! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING!

"I'D LET YOU KILL HIM!" Midoriya finished, all but growling as he finally stood up, drawing back his other fist and looking Muscular eye to bloody eye.

The static was getting intense, acting like lightning trapped in a cage even as muscles were torn and thrown away to try and combat this out of nowhere force.

Within his minds eye, clearer than anything else at this point, Izuku could only see a single star of color. Moving faster and faster with every second, every color and every motion before it settled in his fist.

"ONE FOR ALL! 1,000,000%!" Deku screamed as the pressure grew to its peak, veins glowing red with power and blowing away the muscles previously holding him in place from power alone.

"Detroit...DELAWARE SMMMAAAAAAASSSSHHHH!" He roared as the power released itself in that one swing, impacting Muscular.

It shattered anything that stood in its way, flesh and bone once so terrifying all but liquefying before the horrifying force.

The fist hit Muscular's face in short order, and in that moment, he went flying, massive form shattering the cliff-side firmly and truly unconscious, eyes rolled back and trailing blood, now once more a man.

"I... did it." Izuku muttered tiredly, falling to his knees and then face in short order from exhaustion.

The screaming from Kouta however, did not stop.

"Izu-nii!" Kouta yelled as he ran close to Izuku's fallen form, still looking afraid. Why? He beat Muscular. He...

"Oh...my arms gone." Izuku muttered, trying to feel for his oddly not-aching arm with a near broken left hand. Instead, all he accomplished was covering the hand with a fresh coat of blood and finding a small stump just over his shoulder, life fluid gushing out in alarming amounts.

Izuku guessed he was in shock at the moment, but couldn't help but chuckle a little at the injury.

_'Guess All Might wasn't kidding when he said using too much would blow off limbs.' _He thought with a sort of gallows's humor that only comes in the last moments.

Though he wasn't left much time with those thoughts for long, not with Kota now down on his knees beside him, looking like he was about to have a panic attack. Wonder why?...Oh, right.

"N-no, not again! Please, don't leave Izu-nii! We..we'll get help!" Kouta hiccuped and sobbed as he tried to get Izuku's blood to go back, to wash it back into the wound with water. Sadly, the blood was winning.

"I-I'm losing a lot of blood Kotau. I...I probably won't make it." Izuku gasped out, the water making him so much more aware of the pain in that side now, but it helped keep him focused enough to do was what was needed. One last thing he COULD do.

Even as Kouta sobbed and broke down and pleaded for him to live, Izuku forced his remaining arm to rise to Kouta's face, taking note of the blood staining it and thankful this could be a bit easier.

"I...I *GACK!* I n-need y-ou to do two things for me K-kota. Ok-ay?" Izuku managed to wheeze out, choking and starting to feel light headed. Probably didn't have much longer...

Kouta stopped his water for a moment, paying every bit of attention he could. What a good kid...

"Fir-st, I want you to re-re*HACK!*remember what a hero looks like. Wit-thout you, i'd be even deader n-now. You're a hero, Ko-ta." Izuku struggled to get out between new mouthfuls of blood, most swallowed back down but still some escaping through cracked teeth.

"No, I'm not a hero! a hero could help you! A HERO WOULD-!" A hand draped over Kouta's mouth, partially to stop his ramblings, partially because it was getting harder to hold up.

"L-lick my blo-ood." Izuku tried to command as hard as he could, not able to take much more.

"Wha-"

"DO IT!" He screamed, the excursion looking like it nearly rupturing his throat to do so, but it worked. Kota took a solid lick of his bloody and bruised palm, drawing at least a good sip worth, and swallowed with a grimace and a look of confusion.

Izuku felt any tension he had leave his body at the sight.

"I...I jju-st gave you my-y-y-y, QUI-rk!" Izuku managed to choke out, trying to sit up but now failing at the pressure in his gut.

The confusion on Kouta's face quickly gave way to disbelief and shock.

"WHAT! But, what, how, WHAT!" Ha, it was like when Toshinori told him...

"You're young, so n-noone'll notice if you ge-tt, a str-onger Quirk out of -nowhere." Izuku began to slur, eyes going dark in the corners.

"Wait, Izu-nii! I don't know what you mean! What's happening!" Kouta shouted again, trying desperately to get his hero's attention again, but it was so hard to focus. Now seemed like a great time for a post-workout nap...

"Find All Might...With One For All...You'll be a Great Hero..."

"Kouta."

With these last words whispered in a young boy's ear, Izuku Midoriya, age 15, passed away beaten but unbroken, with a smile on his face on that blood-stained rock.

He might not have become the World's Greatest Hero, but to one young boy.

There couldn't be a better one. That was good enough.

EYES SNAPPED OPEN

_END OF CHAPTER!_

_So, hooked yet?_


	2. Chapter 1: First Thought

_I'm firmly establishing the base for this story both because of the fact it's such a sparse fandom, and the fact that I have some stiff competition to work against regardless. Let's see if I can put up a good fight._

"Regular speech"

_'_Internal speaking/thoughts'__

_"_YELLING"

"Attack Names/Spells/Chants"

Chapter 1: First Breath

Izuku Midoriya's eyes snapped open as a gasp tore its way from his throat, life-giving air finding new home in his lungs once more. His brain felt fuzzy as he continued to simply breath for a moment, head tilted downward to regain his bearings...

How was he alive? Did he get help? Who changed him, he was wearing a white shirt and black pants, nowhere near what he was in when he lost hi-!

His arm was back. He had both arms. He rose them both shakily, feeling every stutter and pull of muscles he had known since birth, as if everything that had happened was nothing but a bad dream.

If the previously confused smile he was wearing grew all the stronger when those same shaking hands became resolute fists, then that was really just a matter of confidence at this point.

He was back! HE HAD BOTH ARMS! HE COULD BE A HERO!

"Ahem."

He... appeared to not be the only person in wherever he was. Huh, should probably take note of that. 

Spoiler: The woman was in no way who you were expecting

Just looking at her brought a blush to Izuku's cheeks. With bright blue eyes and smooth skin marked only by a small scar on her chin, hair a smooth almost silver color bouncing in view and a dress decorated with feather that...'showed off' enough to tantalize the mind without giving anything away, she truly was a vision of beauty.

Oh, they also seemed to be floating in an unending void marked only with patches of star-like light, two sets of chairs within which the both of them sat, and a large 'spotlight' shining directly downward on the two making up the 'ground'.

As expected, there were a few things wrong with this picture.

"W-whaa! Who are you! Where am I! WHY DO I HAVE MY ARM!" Izuku shrieked as he rocketed to his feet, stopping only for a moment to pivot himself behind his apparently immovable chair for cover.

The girl (WHYISSHEHERE!) merely started to laugh a little, closing an eye and hiding her mouth with a hand. There was no hiding the genuine mirth though.

"Mhfufufu. Oh, I will admit, that is one of the more startled reactions I've gotten. Most just stare blankly for a bit before I get their attention. You at least seem energetic." The girl said, voice light yet seeming to carry the distance with no issue.

Izuku cautiously began to remove himself from his position behind the chair. He didn't see anything immediately hostile about the person in front of him, and if they were looking for easy targets, there were certainly better ones than hero candidates, as horrifying as that thought was to have. Still, if worse came to worse, he had both his arms now, and it wasn't that far of a gap between the two of them.

All it would take was a twinge of One For All to have him flyin-

Nothing.

Where once there had been a reservoir of power barely contained within his straining muscles now sat a void that felt achingly empty. There was nothing to call on. No dregs to use, no sparks waiting to ignite, no light to guide the path.

Oh look, there came the panic attack.

Izuku didn't even care when the mysterious girl got up from her chair, eyes wide in shock as he doubled over and started wheezing like he'd lost a vital organ. For all purposes, he had.

"There's nothing, it's gone. I gave it away but nothing is herewherewhereWHERE IS IT!" Izuku started to mutter before progressively getting louder, any subtlety of One For All's existence rendered utterly moot in the face of him all but tearing into his newly returned muscles desperate to find any trace of the power that changed his life.

*SMACK!*

At least until the mysterious girl, who somehow now stood directly beside him, gave him a solid slap to the face, hard enough to knock the spit out of his face and turn his head nearly entirely to the right. It also had the added benefit of knocking him back to reality, leaving him to focus straight back onto her with an intense look, making her step back, startled.

"Why...why can't I feel my Quirk?" Izuku's voice was all but monotone, but the sheer restrained rage and desperation boiling just under the surface combined with those eyes piercing to the darkest depths combined for one instant that made it difficult for the girl to to remember she was talking to a human boy who had recently passed, and not a peer.

Still, the girl shouldered on, hoping that at least some answers could calm down the obviously hair-trigger boy. What did he even mean by Quirk?

"M-My name is Eris dear child, and I am sad to say you have died." The girl, Eris, stated with only a small stutter to her words before puffing up, letting the words sink it.

Izuku, for his part, froze once more. He...was dead?

"But..."

But what? He remembered the light-headedness, the heat of the blood meeting cool night air and water, of Kota's tears dropping on his face as he breathed his last breath. A soul was a soul, and even if Izuku hadn't given away One For All, he was still born Quirkless. Would it have just scattered to the wind, a forgotten flame snuffed out? Like he was?

Izuku brought his arms to his head as he tried to think of some kind of denial, some kind of way to say he was still alive, but it just wasn't coming. He was in a world of darkness with a strange person, no Quirk, no wounds, and no idea what happened in the interum between any of those events.

"So... I died." Izuku muttered to himself, utterly exhausted from...literally everything in the last few hours.

He was again interrupted from his thoughts, this time by a gentle embrace? What? W-why was a pretty girl h-h-hugging you!

"Don't worry sweet child. You're safe now. I-I might be new, but you can rely on me!" Eris cooed into his ear, the hug unorthodox but apparently doing its job if going by the fact that the boy didn't look like a scary bundles of nerves just waiting to snap at any movement.

"B-whu-p-p-pleease let me go miss Eris?" Izuku finally managed to struggle out from his position at her shoulder, desperately hoping that he both got the name right and could avoid self-combustion from the sheer strength of his own blush.

After what seemed like an another eternity, Izuku was let free from the embrace, and both took a moment to sit in there respective chairs, now both conveniently directly behind the other.

There was silence for a moment, as Eris settled into her chair and Izuku began to fiddle with his hands, awkwardly pulling and pushing fingers with face pressed down like a young girl too embarrassed to show the world.

It was definitely an odd juxtaposition when one takes in the sheer muscle mass Eris had felt from the boy during their small embrace, thought Eris as she simply looked at the soul before her.

For a first case, he was really interesting, if a little nerve wracking. And Aqua-senpai thought this was a boring job?

Still, she shook her head to clear the stray thoughts away. She had a job to do!

"So. You are dead." Eris stated, before flinching. Okay, could have worded that better...

It seemed she weren't the only one to think that, what with how Izuku flinched as well, and seemed to shrink even further into himself, clenching his fingers tightly for some reason.

Before she could say anything to fix that though, his hands suddenly loosening their grip. He turned to face Eris, and his face was completely different. 

Spoiler: Tears were streaming down his eyes and a hand barely covered them.

"I-I'm dead, and t-there's nothing I can do about it." Izuku stated as tears leaked down his face. It was a heartbreaking image, one that made Eris want to hug the poor boy again, but she must remain strong! S-strong when faced with such a s-sad looking, muscular, grieving boy...

"So, what happens now?" Izuku sighed, tears still flowing but now ignoring them entirely. If he was dead, what did it matter if he made a mess of his face, or simply cried himself dry?

Luckily, that seemed to drag some semblance of normalcy back into Eris's frame, allowing her to straighten her posture and return to a look of gentle mystery she had been trying so hard to do before.

"W-well you have three choices right now...Izuku, right?" Eris began before stumbling for a moment, finally remembering that she hadn't actually been certain of his name until this point. At his slight nod, Eris let a little breath she was holding escape her. Ooh, it would have been embarrassing to have gotten the name of your first passing soul wrong!

"Y-Yes. Midoriya Izuku, it's...a pleasure to meet you I guess?" Izuku said with hesitation and pressure still heavy in his voice, tears starting to slow at the mere mention of more than whatever was happening right now.

"Right. Well, options! Yes, those. Okay..." Eris took a moment to smile, before taking a breath and beginning her spiel.

"As a young soul taken before his time, you have a few more option than the usual people who pass through the afterlife, not even mentioning your deeds in life. Your first choice, as a kind soul, is of course Heaven. Before you jump at that however, know that it... isn't really a good choice for a young soul. It's really a place more for those longing for past days, when they were in their prime and sharing their stories with countless generations before and after them." Eris explained, raising her index finger into the air, and pausing to let that sink in.

Izuku was absolutely appreciating that, eyes going wide at the revelations that Heaven existed, he could get into it, and that it was being explained like it was a Super-retirement home.

Still he had to ask.

"Okay...If that's the first option...is the second option H-Hell?" He stuttered out the last word without meaning too, mind whirling with the mere implications of what these words meant and if they even meant anything at this point.

It seems they did if the twitch of shock that ran through Eris was any indication.

"Wha? WHY WOULD YOU BE GOING TO HELL!" Eris shouted in her chair, hands suddenly at her head and shoulder feathers flying into the air. Where had THAT come from! Kids weren't supposed to be that pessimistic!

It seemed the downward spiral was contagious.

"W-well, I mean, you were talking about three choices and the first ones Heaven,soofcourseImgoingtothinkofmyoptionsfortheafterlifetobetherehellandpurgatoryorshitisthatwhereweare?Butwhatif-"  
Izuku started to mutter, words trailing around him and hanging in the air, surrounding him and closing in on Eris with crushing closeness, making her scrunch in the chair for dear life.

Wha~t was happ~ening! Eris thought with tears of her own forming in the corners of her eyes.

"ENOUGH, ENOUGH, PLEASE!" She begged as the word cloud somehow grew in strength, overtaking the black space and turning it into a scene not out of place in a certain bizarre adventure.

Izuku snapped out of his thoughts again, thankfully stopping his stream of word garbage that was about to creep into the now thoroughly scarred goddess.

'P-please don't do that again~!" Eris cried pitifully, no longer the figure of mystery and wisdom she was supposed to be.

"A-ah, sorry?" Izuku apologized, but left she was kind of over-reacting. No-one had ever had that visceral a reaction to his mumbling before, outside of being creeped out a bit.

"N-no, I'm sorry. I'm a G-goddess and I m-must be strong for you-u-u-u!" Eris cried with a determined face despite the new trail of snot completely ruining the image.

"Please don't cry! I'll cry!" Izuku shouted back, new tears coming to his eyes at making the person-goddess?-he just met cry from his old habit.

It took quite a bit of time for both of them to stop crying and gain some measure of appearance back together. It was not pretty.

"O-okay, I'm better now. Thank you for the moment. Are we ready to continue?" Eris finally spoke, dabbing her eye with a plush feather plucked from her dress, now remarkably calmer than she had been before.

The same could be said for young Izuku, who merely fidgeted in his seat again and gave a quick nod, fearing the effect his words had made before would make a come-back if he let his mouth voice his thoughts and questions again.

"Right then. Choices, yes! Okay, so, with Heaven said, the next option you have is straight Reincarnation. This usually has a waiting period where the soul either removes certain vices or sins by becoming lesser creatures and identities so they can be worth conscious thought again, but due to your time being cut short, you would side-step the process and start life as a new-born human. No memories of course, but your soul would live on, with maybe some characteristics or talents rubbing off on the 'new' you." Eris hastily clarified when she saw you about to open your mouth, correctly guessing what you were going to ask.

That was a little disappointing, but Izuku thought he could understand why it was a bad idea to put an older person's brain into a babies body, or why that hadn't already been seen at all before now.

Still, seeing her fright at the sight of your mouth caused Izuku to half-frown, and merely roll his hand instead, signaling her to continue.

Eris beamed at that, and happily did so.

"Now, you're last option, and in my personal opinion your best one (here she winked and made a little poke to her cheek, making you blush a slight bit) is a bit of a doozy." Eris said with a massive smile, cheeks lighting up.

"I want you to live the rest of your life in my World."

"What."

"Yep! Think about it! You could go on adventures, save my world from a Demon King, even be a Hero!" Eris chirped, hands under her chin and eyes twinkling with stars.

Was this really the same girl Izuku had been talking to? Wait...

"Adventures? Demon King...Is this an RPG?" Izuku asked as he both metaphorically and literally pointed at the tie-in between those two words.

Izuku might not have been the biggest gaming fan, what with the literal superpowers in life being more his appeal than a fictional characters, but that didn't mean he didn't play his fair share over the course of his childhood and puberty.

"Also correct! Good job!" Eris answered, giving a thumbs up that did more to make Izuku uncomfortable than encourage him. Seriously, what was with this character switch...

"My world, or rather the world closest to where we God's live, is much more systematic as a result. We also have a "tiny" problem of growing threats a bit too large for our precious children...so we give young souls like you a chance to live again! And do some of your stuff to! It's a win-win thing!" Eris proudly proclaimed, placing a hand to her chest as if it truely was the greatest thing to be done.

"So...I can go to your world, and still be a hero?" Izuku hesitantly asked, heart beginning to pump. Even if it was in a ridiculous setting, even if he would never see his friends again...he could be a hero. He could help save a world that needed help.

What kind of Future Symbol of Peace would turn that down?

"Yes, and if you do I-" Whatever Eris was about to say was cut off by Izuku, who had that intense look in his eyes again.

"I'll do it."

Whatever Eris was expecting, it wasn't that. Such a quick response, with such passion...

_'S-so cool!~' _Was went through her head, gushing at being so lucky as to draw this kind of guy on the first shot!

In reality however, She merely gave a massive smile, and a magic circle appeared under Izuku.

"Thank you! Thank you Midoriya Izuku! Know that you go into this Goddess's Wonderful World with joy in her heart! Go forth, My Hero!" Eris cried out as she threw her arms apart, causing a great flash to occur.

When it was gone, Izuku was gone, and all was quiet in the little corner of the Afterlife.

After a second more, Eris collapsed bonelessly to her chair, any joy or aloofness or whatever she had happen utterly gone, leaving only a girl having gone through TOO MANY emotional highs in the span of what had to be hours. Was this what Aqua dealt with when a poor soul was sent to her? Her poor Sempai!

"Still, it's over now. I'm sure he'll do fine...with...his...Blessing." Eris started to say before trailing off as she caught sight of the pristine list of Divine items they were supposed to give to their Blessed.

"Oh no...I didn't give him a Blessing...OH NO, I DIDN'T GIVE HIM A BLESSING...OH FUCK, HE DOESN'T HAVE A BLESSING AND I DIDN'T MAKE HIM SIGN THE WAIVER!" Eris shouted in increasing despair.

"Oh Father, how did Aqua DO THIS!?" Eris screamed to the heavens literally above as she became a human fountain, tears streaming down her face.

IT WAS HER FIRST DAY!

Chapter END

_Yep. Poor Midori ended up without a blessing from our favorite stealy goddess. Hey, everyone gets some things wrong on their first day, why should God's be any different? And we're still just getting started. Wait till ya'll learn our hero's class! I expect very few will expect it~ Or maybe you will, why not tell me?_

_Until next time_


	3. Chapter 2:First Arrival

_I actually have a lot of fun writing this one. I can make it silly or serious as I want to at moments, and I feel it's really helping me with the whole perspectives thing I've struggled with for a bit._

_Anyway, I own nothing except the situations I sometimes create, and whatever money people decide to throw in my direction. Just making that clear._

"Regular speech"

__'_Internal speaking/thoughts'___

"YELLING"

_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants"_

_Chapter 2: First Arrival  
Or: Welcome, Player #5,374!_

It was a gorgeous day in the world of Wonderful. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, Lettuce's were plotting for their war to overtake the cabbage, and a young man was falling towards a small field from the sky with a trail of fire followed closely behind.

Oh, there was also a small chance of rain later, due to the weather spirits wondering how to shut up the screaming fireball so close to them, so it wasn't all a good day.

Let's see how out Hero is doing, shall we?

MIDO

THE WORLD WAS COLOR.

"Qu-est-ce qui m'arrive?" Came from his mouth instead of the question he was trying to say. The light was so intense, it felt like he was burning up, moving so fast the color was draining from his very form, unable to keep up. Then, like a lightening strike, the color that washed through his existence shattered, making everything that felt so far away rush back into him, like a pile-up of concepts making a body into 'Izuku'.

Oh, he was also in a very Izuku-shaped crater right now, including hair somehow. Funny, he thought those only happened it cartoons...

And then came the rush of air into his lungs, reminding him he was alive again, and jolting his brain back into whatever reality he was in now.

'I... am alive.' Was Izuku's only thought for a moment, taking only a move to bring his torso out of the human shaped hole he had made, unconcerned of the dirt and dust on his white shirt.

He simply sat there, taking deep breaths, feeling the wind tussle his hair, hands finding grip in dirt and silt, the tears welling again in his eyes and dripping down on the thread bare pants he was wearing.

Never...had anything been so beautiful, so awe-inspiring.

A few minutes past, before he did anything else. Even that however, was more from the pins and needles in his legs urging him to continue.

Still, from his first few minutes, he could already see...

"This is a really pretty place..." He muttered, gazing out at his surroundings.

And it was true. A picturesque valley, hills going on for miles before flattening into a large plain with a river and small marsh to it on the other side, it looked like a small piece of paradise, marred only by the almost grave shaped hole you had made after lifting yourself from it, the dirt quickly falling back without you to hold it.

"Y-ea~h, should PROBABLY move away from that..." Izuku mumbled as he kicked it over a bit more to even it out, before walking a bit away from it, taking his first real steps in this new world.

'Probably wouldn't look great to be standing next to a person sized hole in the middle of no-where...' Was his thinking even as he brushed himself off a bit, taking note that even after being 'reborn' he still had his scars on his hands and arms. Probably the rest of him as well, but those were a bit more embarrassing to check outside of privacy.

" I wonder if this is because of how I think of myself or if it's just a onetoonething,it'dmakesensebutcouldchangealotofthings,alsotheseweren'twhatIwaswearingwhochangedmewasitErisohgodIhopeitwasn'tbutwhoelsecouldithavebeen?Wait a minute where am going?" He muttered to himself as he desperately wished to have one of his notebooks right now, before remembering he wasn't Home and had no idea where he was going, leading to a small panic attack.

'Oh Kami, why did I do that! Which way is it? Did I take a left or a right? Did I go straight? Oh Why, this isn't Japan! They don't have signs every five steps to tell-!' Izuku began to panic before hastily turning around, smashing his face smack dab into a wooden sign.

As he peeled back his now aching face, carefully feeling for splinters, he saw that the sign had words! Though...

'I-isn't this just English?'

\/ YOU ARE HERE

\- AXEL TOWN 3 Miles

KOBALIA TOWN - 210 Miles

_CRIMSON CLAN HIDEOUT SOLICITORS WILL BE SUDUCED SLAUGHTERED - _Across the desert path, past three dragons, answer with a Yang

"Wh-what the heck is with that last one!?" He freaked out a bit, running towards where the nearest town was said to be, as the words clicked in his mind.

If he had only stuck around for a moment longer, he'd have seen the sign he was so scared of fall away from the post, revealing the small doodle of a small witch giving a peace sign.

Izuku ran. Izuku ran past people in armor, people with pointed ears, and people with massive weapons strapped to their person. It was a lot like home, but that wasn't the point right now. Right now, he was only enjoying the feeling of his lungs inhaling and exhaling fresh air, and muscles pushing forward.

It was a simple thing, but after having those same feelings stop, it was, literally, a breath of fresh air. He vowed to never lose this feeling again.

Still, good things had to come to an end at some point, and so he finally came to a stop, leaning against a wall panting, sweat starting to cling on his white shirt a bit, but nothing could stop his smile from shining through.

"Haa, haa, I think I needed that." Izuku half laughed, half panted to himself, breath reestablished after a few seconds.

Still, he was in a city, so why not get used to his new surroundings a bit? Nobody was really paying attention to him, and a good Hero does what he can with context clues...

"GET YOUR FRIED TOAD HERE! BRING TWO LEGS, GET ONE FREE!"

"Did you see that kid running? Wonder what spooked him?"

"Hey, want to have some fun?"

"MAGIC CRYSTALS OVER 5% OFF~!"

One of those things was not like the other, and Izuku wasted no time snapping his eyes in the direction he heard it from.

Sure enough, there was an obviously shady pair of guys stalking into an alleyway off to the side, leaving him only a second to see the leer on one of their faces before they left his sight.

That certainly couldn't stand. Izuku didn't care if nobody else seemed to notice, he did and there was a person who needed help.

Izuku made quick work of moving through the crowd in front of him, and in moments he was in front of the alley, giving him a perfect view.

"Aww, C'mon girly! We're just looking for some fun, ya'know~" The first one said, words drawling even as he twirled a knife in his grip. He looked like a walking stereotype, all skin and bone fashioned in a leather outfit of sorts.

The second one continued the trend, in the worst possible way. Where the first one was skinny, the second was stout and...big-boned was a polite way of stating it, only broken out of the image by the set of axes on the 'small' of his back.

"Yeah, you really going to leave us Adventurer's dry like that?" Axes spoke this time, leaning in and putting an arm on the wall beside the girls head, giving Izuku his first view of her.

Ears were the first thing to catch his eyes his eyes. It was hard not to think it with the massive set of fox ears she had on her head, matched only by the...larger tracts of land, she bolstered. Add in a sweater she was wearing being the same color as her hair, and the semi-short black skirt she was wearing, he couldn't deny she was a stunning lady.

Still, this was no time to be distracted by anything like appearances, Izuku quickly snapped himself up from the small stupor and geared himself for the fight.

It seemed it was the right time to do so, as the same window that allowed him to see the girl went both ways, with the her giving a small gasp at seeing another person in the alley now.

This of course, prompted the two to look back as well.

'Time to get things started...'

"Oi." Izuku grunted as he stepped fully into the alley, making certain all focus was on him.

"Eh? What's up kid~? Ya got a question or something for us fine folk?" Skinny chuckled to himself, knife now hidden behind his back but with the tip still poking past his thin frame.

It was a basic taunt, but was really about what he was expecting given their previous lines. That at least made this a bit easier.

"Yes. Why don't you spend sometime with me instead?" Izuku stated, giving a little smile that showed a hint of teeth, well aware of how it worked with his lip-scar.

It was evidently not the answer they were looking for, given their obvious flinch back at seeing the small kid suddenly give a look filled with such fighting determination, even without any weapons in head.

Still, they shook it off quickly. What was one little brat going to do? THEY were Adventurers! Rogues of dashing legend!

"Ooh, tough guy. Come on kid, we don't got time to play around here. We're busy." Axes scoffed as he reached an arm forward, ready to throw away the runt so they could get back to more important matters.

Only instead of grabbing what should have been a kid too weak to resist, Axes hand instead was caught in a grip marred with scars and far too tight to be real.

"Busy then? Then why not clear up that schedule of yours." Izuku shot back as he tightened his grip even more. Even without One for All, he had still gotten used to lifting and gripping hundreds of pounds at a time, to say nothing of fighting and additional training over the course of his ever-so short career.

As Axes gave another little choke of pain from the grip, Izuku took special care of making a show while looking to Skinny, before turning to the girl and motioning her to move deeper into the alley with a small nod.

He saw her eyes widen for a moment before quickly doing so, allowing Izuku to breathe a small puff of air through his nose as she moved away from immediate danger. Speaking of which though...

Izuku quickly let go of his grip and pushed himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the downward axe swing Axes had slammed down with his free hand. He was now up against the right wall, and watching as both would be felons brandished their weapons fully, expressions much more confident.

"Okay, you seem a bit stronger than we thought. Good for you. But you really think that's enough to take both of us~?" Skinny snickered to his partner, now standing side by side and knife being brandished in the light, as if to bask in it's presence.

Izuku raised an eyebrow for a minute. Were they really...?

Well, far be it from you to leave a gift horse waiting.

With not a second's pause, Izuku braced his leg to the wall behind him, and pushed forward as if he was swimming. With a sharp shove, Izuku was sent flying towards Skinny, and had his fist folding him over in the same impact. The knife he so proudly displayed was tossed into the air with the force of the impact, and Izuku wasted no time to catch it in his off hand, as Skinny fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, leaving only his shell-shocked friend and the now even wider-eyed girl.

"I think my odds are pretty good. Want to see if your's are better?" Izuku asked as he looked at the new knife in his hand. It was a nice one, if only to look at, with a silver looking sheen to its edge and a bronze body. Could probably serve as a mirror as well with how polished it was, so that was a plus. It let you look right at the Axe guy as he squirmed in his over-sized pants.

Finally after a moment of silence, Axes ran down the other end of the alley, completely bypassing the long forgotten girl as well as his still in pain friend. He didn't make it far though, because as soon as he entered the market, a stray rock caused him to trip, mass working against him while the crowds simply walked around or over him like a particular piece of cobblestone. Izuku blinked at that for a moment, before shrugging and going over to the girl, now that the threats were 'gone'.

Aa~nd now it was his turn to flinch as the fox girl turned towards you fully since the first encounter, eyes completely overtaken with sparkles and arms positioned to the sides of her chest that did...interesting things, his teenage mind was quick to fill in before being mentally slapped back down.

"T-THAT WAS SO AWESOME!" She yelled in excitement, running around you, lifting your arms and stretching them too and fro, making little punching noises. It was adorable, completely out of nowhere, and doing a fantastic job of frying his brain.

'Ohgodohgodohgodohgod-!'

"Ooh! You have really strong arms! No wonder he went down like 'Ka-POW'! What level are you? What's your Class? You took care of those guys so quickly, so it must be SUPER high!" She continued to gush over you, but her words quickly served to snap Izuku out of the brainfried state said girl had put him in.

"W-wait, what do you mean Level? And Class?" He stuttered out to the girl, snapping against the wall and trying desperately not to get caught in a fluffy feeling vice.

That seemed to stop her short.

"WHAT! What kind of question is that? You gotta be a high-level with that kind of confidence and the way you handled those guys! So c'mon, what's the level? 30? 50? 100!?" She shouted right in his face, getting progressively louder.

Still, he had to be frank with this. With the girl so close to your now and with new energy bursting at the seams, Izuku set his arms firmly on her shoulders, squaring her solidly on the ground and looking her straight in the eye, a rare treat with the both of you being around the same height.

"I'm not kidding. What did you mean about Levels and Class?" He said with seriousness laced in his voice.

That brought her short, face once wonder now abject confusion and a small small blush that you probably shared, but there were other things to worry about right now.

"W-wait, really? You don't know what those are?" You asked, shock clear in her voice as she realized that you were serious.

Izuku, seeing her level of disbelief, nodded once more before, carefully, released her shoulders, crossed his arms, and nodded resolutely.

So she gave a hesitant nod, and began to explain.

And Izuku listened.

END OF CHAPTER

_And another one done. I wanted to do more, but decided to cut it off now with out boy getting a swanky new knife and an expositor to hel move things along. Another update WILL be coming soon though, and then ya'll will finally see Izuku's Class! Literally no one has guessed it yet, which makes me feel great!_


	4. Chapter 3: First Revelation

_Sorry for the short break there, got caught up with Smash. But that's done for now, and I'm back on the writing wagon._

_Next on my list is either Kamen Rider or Hero, so that's fun too. But till then, let's see how our favorite scrub goes about this 'wonderful' world._

"Regular speech"

__'_Internal speaking/thoughts'___

"YELLING"

_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"_

Chapter 3: First Revelation

Or, It's Dangerous to Go Alone, Take This!

This new world was becoming both much easier to understand, and more than a little stupid with every passing tidbit Izuku was told about it.

The Fox-girl, who was named Wao, did exactly as he had asked, explaining the basic things like levels, Skill Cards, and even the current situation with the Demon King.

And by Gosh did he have zero idea how any part of it was true.

When Izuku had first heard of the Demon King from Eris, he had been picturing an overwhelming shadowy figure ruling from the background and leaving chaos and ruin in their wake, like All-For-One did before All Might. Instead, he literally lived in a castle beside a town with a barrier around it while his generals literally just wandered around doing whatever. It... wasn't described like a catastrophe so much as a guy who just happened to be called 'Evil' by this point.

The random monsters just roaming around were apparently more of a problem! Izuku didn't even try to hide his wince at hearing about giant toads around the town wanted for 'eating children'.

There was also the revelation that near everybody who actually had strength worked with the Adventurer's Guild, which gave out cards THAT LET PEOPLE INSTANTLY GET POWERS. If it had been a year and a half earlier, Izuku literally would have sold his soul for one...which, now that he thought about it, might have been what he'd actually done now.

But that wasn't the issue. It would be one thing if they had some kind of criteria to who got a pass, but that just didn't seem to be a thing, with how Wao reacted when you asked about the very topic.

It would be one thing if it was given to people who proved they could help the people around them, like a Hero License, but no. Literally anybody of any race (which he felt weird to include) who brought the minimum amount of money or item to trade would get a card.

It...it just boggled the mind when looked at. But, Izuku supposed, they would probably think the same thing if they saw his world, with powers regulated beyond a select few occasions...

Any other thoughts regarding the new world before him would be put to the side however, as they had arrived at their destination.

Spoiler: The Guild Hall

It was a massive building compared to the stalls and houses around it, being at lease three stories tall and nearly as wide as a regular school from where you were standing. It also had some kind of blue and gold crest of what looked like a bird or dragon on it, giving it a very fantastical view to it, along with its greenery covered columns.

"Well, here we are! Ready to get registered?" Wao spoke through her massive grin, trowing out her arms as if to showcase the building.

Izuku felt a smile of his own grow a bit bigger on his face due to her excitement, but he wouldn't deny there was some of his own mingling in. This would be the first step to actually helping more people, or at least helping his own situation. It felt... good to move forward.

"I can't wait to see your card~" Wao continued with a small snicker hidden behind her hand, making said grin crack a little.

That was one thing that had been happening since the two of them had started walking. In exchange for telling him about the world, she'd get to see his card when he got one. Which honestly wasn't too bad of a deal, in Izuku's opinion, but that might not be the right one if how Wao kept giggling and blushing randomly as she talked was any indication. Still, it wasn't like there were any other options...

_'Still, this is a lot of stuff to take in...' _Izuku thought to himself as he looked down at the knife he took off the 'Adventurer' earlier, and his new ticket to a Guild Card.

It felt wrong leaving what amounted to a criminal and his friend on their own, but Wao had waved it off and said she'd tell someone while she was here, so Izuku did his best to tamper down his feelings on the matter.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild!" Came a voice ahead of Izuku, startling him back to reality and...directly into the view before him, giving him a massive blush again.

Spoiler: It was a girl only a few years older than Wao, but she didn't look it

She was wearing...a very revealing top, in the same style of a school-girls uniform just...cut phenomenally low. It probably wouldn't have looked out of place on a younger Midnight, which just cranked up the blush before Izuku managed to literally slap himself out of it.

Why had those kind of thoughts become more common?

In any case, the woman greeting the both of them didn't seem offended, in fact even looking a bit amused, before beginning to speak again.

"Welcome back Wao, who's your new friend? Oh, where are my manners, my name is Luna." She greeted before turning to Izuku directly, giving him a small bow that nearly send his brain overloading for a moment.

"H-h-h-eelooo L-luna!" Izuku half shouted before hastily shoving a hand over his mouth to stop his stuttering.

It didn't seem to do the job though, what with Luna only looking more amused and Wao snickering even harder into her hand, making Izuku flag for a moment from the embarrassment.

No wonder Wao was laughing so much...

Still, the hall itself was still busy for this time of day, and the three were quickly moved towards the counter, with Luna sliding easily behind the desk to face the two.

"Okay, now that the show is over, what can we at the Adventurer's Guild do for you today? You came in with Wao, so are you here to put in a Quest? Or sign up for one?" Luna asked with a curious tilt of her head, now grabbing a piece of parchment and half pencil in the other.

That broke Izuku out of whatever traces of embarrassment he might still have been feeling, shooting a questioning eyebrow at Wao for a moment before taking a breath to center himself.

This time, he spoke with no stutter.

"Actually, I'd like to sign up with the Guild if it's possible. I don't actually have any Eris on me at the moment though, so I was hoping to trade this knife in exchange." Izuku stated as he looked straight on, presenting the knife from the mugger at the end.

It seemed to take Luna aback for a moment, though whether that was from the sudden seriousness or the presenting of a live weapon was anyone's guess.

Even still though, she was only struck for a moment, before her own eyes focused and she grabbed the knife, holding it up and looking over it at different angles.

"Hmm, nice weight, not bad metal used, the sharpness isn't great but still serviceable. Definitely a mid-tier weapon." Luna murmured to herself as she wrote down the findings, before finally giving a solid nod.

"Yes, with this we can cover the fee for your Guild card. Would you like it now or after you have a residence for the evening?" Luna inquired.

Izuku, who hadn't actually expected such a quick acceptance and choice, floundered for a moment before again looking in Wao's direction, and was encouraged by the quick nods she was doing.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind." He said as turned back around.

Luna nodded again at that, and walked into a door behind the bar for a moment, leaving the two to discuss amongst themselves.

"Wow, you get really intense sometimes. You got a split personality or something?" Wao asked bluntly, face held up in her hands as she turned to Izuku, squish-faced.

He spluttered for a second before nervously poking his scarred index fingers together, trying to distract himself again.

"I-I don't have a split personality! I j-just get nervous wh-when I'm talking to p-people somet-times..." Izuku mumbled to himself as he turned the other way, the picture of shyness.

Wao merely stared harder at him, eyes focused on said hands nervously poking together scarred no doubt by what had to be violence.

"R~ight, nerves. GOTCHA." Wao deadpanned before using a finger to close and eye before reopening it.

Anything else that could be said was thankfully cut off by the returning of Luna, who was carrying what seemed like a small black tile with a white backing. It looked like a phone.

"Here we are~. Now, just place a drop of blood on the card and it'll show your new status alongside general stats and information. Will you need a pin or some such to draw it?" Luna asked, handing the 'card' to Izuku, who merely shook his head.

"No, it's okay."

That said, Izuku brought up a finger to his lip, and quickly ran a tooth along one of the scars along his ring finger, making a small fringe of blood appear. With not even a wince, he swiped the blood over the front of the card, and now watched as the previously blank stone lit up with light, forcing him to look away for a moment, as well as attracting the attention of those around them.

"Ooh, good a new guy joining us."

"Wonder what they'll be like stat-wise?"

"I wonder what Class they are! We need a Ranger!"

"Seriously, shut up about the Rangers Darell, the aren't real!"

"YES THEY ARE LET ME HAVE THIS!"

And other such nonsense.

Eventually though, the light faded from the card, revealing a surface almost like a phone displaying his 'stats' and abilities. The contents though...

Name: Midoriya Izuku, Deku

Former Class: Hero

Current Class: Lich

Level: 26

HP: 5,000/5,000  
MP: 500/1,000,000

Strength: 85(1,000)

Wisdom: 80

Intelligence: 80

Speed: 75 (105) (1,050)

Endurance: 40 (5)

Luck: 35

Skills:

Lim(b)it Break: Push through your limits for incredible bursts of strength and speed by forcing MP through limbs! Carry-over Skill

Plus Ultra: Go beyond the limits of the body by surviving past negative HP, so long as MP exists. Carry-over Skill

Analyst: The ability to categorize and break down an enemies weaknesses, forms, and information over the course of observing them in Combat or Life. Carry-Over Skill

Spirit Drain: Take in Mana from the air around the User. Race-Skill

Spirit Drain (Touch): Take in greater amounts of Mana from targets in the Users grip or defeated by the User. Race-Skill

Available Skill Points: 25

"Ehh?" Came the sound from Izuku and the ones around him.

END OF CHAPTER

_Class Reveal Beyitches! Who guessed it coming? LITERALLY NO ONE WHO SHOT OUT THERE! WOO!_


	5. Chapter 4: First Reactions

_And I'm back again, with some more of these wonderful stories! Sorry about the lack of any HHW for the last while, just hit a wall that I'm steadily breaking back down. Until then though, I'm filling the gap!_

_And I won't waste anymore of your time now. ENJOY!_

"Regular speech"

__'_Internal speaking/thoughts'___

"YELLING"

_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"_

Chapter 4: First Reactions

OR

The Cutest little Terror

One thought was shared amongst every adventurer who could see or hear the outrageous results from Izuku's(So THAT'S his name..) Guild card, Wao especially as she tried to swallow with her suddenly dry mouth.

_'What kind of monster is this kid!?' _Ignoring the fact that he was also apparently an Undead, which wasn't nearly as big a deal as it was a while ago, outside the Axis Cult. When they were walking around and not mad from whatever killed them in the first place, they were all but regular people anyway, if a touch colder.

No, it was the Stats and his FORMER class that were the issue.

To start with, 'Hero' was a Legend-Class, something the Guild Card couldn't give. It had to be unlocked at birth, like with those weird off-shoot Mages called Sorcerers, or Earned through some unknown means, like becoming a Paladin when pledging to a church. So for a kid this young to have already had it...raised some eyebrows on its own.

And then all the rest of those eyebrows joined their friends with the reveal of those numbers. They weren't all the greatest in the world, but again it was the age and actual variety of them that was the problem. On average, an Adventurer had stats semi-equivalent to whatever Level they were at, with exceptions for what related to their Class, such as Thieves having Higher Luck and Speed compared to Swordsman, who had high Strength.

But to have EVERY Stat so much higher than his base, which even then was a Level rarely seen outside of people over the age of 30, but that was a different issue, spoke of a damn near frightening amount of potential, not even counting Skill Points earned per potential Level.

And to have 5 Skills right off the bat, even discounting two of them as Race Skills, was downright ludicrous. Most people were lucky to get one or two from their previous experience upon signing the Guild Card, and those were all related to actions or persuasions they had so ingrained in them it would be impossible to NOT include.

All of this, all the impossibilities wrapped up tightly into the form of a small, green haired Boy who had saved her from a couple of pervy old guys.

It almost made Wao want to laugh hysterically, if not for the fact that she was sure she'd end up crying instead.

Didn't these kind of things only happen in weird books?

Wait, did she say that out loud? She thought she heard someone mutter 'books'.

Indeed, with a quick snap back to reality, Wao found her little monster of a savior muttering under breath, eyes still on his card utterly ignoring the crowd still kind of shocked around him. She could barely make out what he was saying by virtue of being so close, but it didn't really help any of the confusion she felt.

"Spirit drain is wide enough to need two categories while specifying. Does this mean it comes from two different locations? Or different methods. Maybe different rates of consumtion? What happens when I do, does it have any effects outside of energy transference? Wish I had my note book with me..." Was all Wao could make out before he suddenly snapped out of whatever fugue he had landed himself in.

"Right! Thank you, . You...wouldn't happen to know a place I could get some blank books from, as well as a place to stay...W-would you?" Izuku started off strong before trailing off hesitantly as he stared at the still shocked attendant, who quickly was brought back, before she started shooing the gathered lot of people away with a slightly embarrassed crush.

"Y-yes! Yes I can, He-I mean, Izuku! I'll give you a map to our nearest bookstore. B-but you'll need some money..." Luna eagerly and strangely began before trailing off as well, flushed and staring up mortified as if she had said something scandalous.

Wao watched on as Izuku seemingly didn't notice the change of pace, but sat back to enjoy the show.

"Oh! Right...forgot about that. Do you have any job's I could do? Might as well put this to use now that I have it?" Izuku tried to joke for a moment, holding his new Card between two fingers as awkwardly chuckled, with Luna joining in a moment later a little too loud and stilted to be normal.

"OF COURSE! H-here! This should be no problem!" Luna all but screamed, startling Izuku from his position even as she ripped a random poster from the wall behind her and presented it for him to take with both hands outstretched.

After another second of hesitation, and seeing that Luna wasn't making another move, Izuku slowly reached out and took the paper, leaving Luna to snap back up and eagerly face back forward.

Izuku took a moment to read the page in his hand, before nodding confidently and signing his name on the bottom with a nearby pen.

"Alright! Thanks Luna! I'll be back in no time!" Izuku stated with confidence, shining a smile that was the most confident Wao had seen him since he punched that guy. Seemed to do the trick pretty well on Luna as well, if how she all but bent to the side for a moment.

Having seen none of this though, Izuku had already turned around and was making his way out of the Hall, unminding of the nice people moving out of his way.

Only when the door closed with a flash of gold behind him did the whispers begin in full, all about his Stats, classes, and whatever the hell was happening with Luna. She of course, had other things on her mind.

"Ohhh~ A 'HERO'. Oh, Thank you Eris! You have no idea what this means to me!" Luna near whispered to herself, now back to doing paperwork with one hand and pouring mugs of ale with the other.

Sure, he was a little short, and slightly dead, but she wasn't that picky! Not with these clods around. Luna thought as she watched another grown man complain about the Durian Quest he had to do, even as she watched him drink its nectar.

It would be so nice to have someone actually dependable around~ She could just imagine the productivity now! Oh, but she had to write his map!

With nary a Second thought, Luna then began to draw her map of Axel, all the while imaging the piles of corpses and profit to come from an Adventurer with ambition.

END OF CHAPTER

_Next Up's our first real Fight! Can't wait!_


	6. Chapter 5: First 'Fight'

**_Here I am yet again, with a good story I hope everyone can enjoy. Took me a bit to think on how to word things, along with set some stuff up for other stories, but I deliver._**

**_Enjoy.  
_**  
"Regular speech"

_**'**__Internal speaking/thoughts'_

"YELLING"

**_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"_**  
**  
Chapter 5: First 'Fight'**

**OR**

**We're Shockingly Good at Punching Wildlife After That Training  
**  
The confidence to Izuku's movements lasted all the way till he reached the area where the toads were supposed to be gathered, helpfully pointed out to him by the wallguard who wanted the lot gone.

At the moment, it was merely Izuku and his thoughts, and they were doing him NO favors.

_'Ah hell, what do I do? Can I really kill a living creature so easily? They might eat children, and the world would be safer without them, but they won't feel the same at all! I...I just have to think of them like Pixie-Bob's statues! There was nothing wrong with taking those down...'  
_  
"Will I even be able to take them down that easily? I don't know how tough they are, and I have no gear or back-up. Maybe I should go back and-!" As Izuku was beginning to psyche himself out and turn around, he instead came face to face with Wao, face now dangerously close and examining him like a strange animal.

"I thought for sure you'd have a plan with how you set out so confidently, but nothing? Wow, you just set expectations on a trip, don't ya? She spoke dryly, making you wince and shrink a little, not even questioning how long she had been there, the words 'No Plan' and 'Nothing' stabbing him like arrows through the back.

"W-well, It's one thing to agree to the request, but I've never done something like this before! What are they like? Are they attracted or repulsed by anything specific? Do they hunt in packs or singular? What KIND of toads are they? THESE ARE ALL GOOD QUESTIONS!" Izuku rattled back, rocking his arms together and tears brimming in his eyes, even as Wao now facepalmed at the crazy 'hero' before her.

"It's...not that hard. They're toads, you go out and kill them. They hunt alone away from the swamp, and their ambush-"

**"BWAH-!"**

***GRAB*  
**  
"Predators!" Wao squeaked out as she fell to her butt on the grass, eyes locked onto both the tongue that had shot out from the taller foliage beside them, and the Iron-knuckled grip Izuku now had around it, the tip flailing around in the air.

"Huh. For something this large, it has a rather slow tongue. Though I guess with this amount of saliva, it probably traps prey in place or forces them to come to it head-on..." Izuku wondered to himself for a moment, even as he heard the awkward croaking coming closer as he held onto the tongue. Well, 'held' was a bit of a misnomer, as the toad saliva/slime's non-euclidean nature ensured his suction to the wriggling part.

He also paid little mind to Wao's own disbelieving mutterings of 'slow' and 'what' after making sure she was untouched, as the previously hidden toad finally emerged. It was a forest green with brown spots intermediated along its back randomly. It was also around 8 and a 1/2 feet tall, and at least 5 and a bit feet wide, most likely putting it somewhere between 3 to 600 pounds considering the girth and bone weight. It also had a pair of crossed eyes that seemed to glare, but that was probably because of Izuku still gripping the appendage regardless of how much the toad tried to recoil it.

_'This actually isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.' _Izuku thought with zero doubt of lying. When he saw he was hunting toads, he expected having to hunt through swampy murks while dealing with poison, paralytics, or ambush tactics from seemingly nowhere, and not just a straight up attack at not to great speeds. All in all, as bad as it was to say, he could understand why they were listed as a threat to nearby children, and not much else.

Still, they WERE still a problem, and one that he was already here to correct. No use looking a gift-toad in the mouth.

"I hope you forgive me for this, Tsuyu-san!" Izuku harshly whispered under his breath as he dashed towards the toad, so much faster thanks to the limbs natural rubber banding.

Thinking the meal had finally given up, the toad merely did a small smile and opened its mouth wide. This was its downfall.

With a sharp yank and jump, Izuku hit the ground and soared above the toads head, still attached by the tongue now pulled past its startled face.

Landing on the back of the beasts head, Izuku was quick to pull the rest of the slack appendage taunt, as he roped it around the relatively short wide-open gaps between the sides of its two mouth openings. As it came back around the other side, effectively looping its tongue around its head, his legs were perfectly placed atop its head once again.

As Izuku looked down one last time at the panic-filled eyes of the toad, he closed his eyes and pulled as hard as he could.

***CRACK*  
**  
Was the only sound to come as the vice-like nature of the action snapped the skull into two seperate pieces, inducing a swift death with no struggle. It was only possible thanks to both the tongue being such a length, but also its own nature, softening enough to move when in the mouth, and hardening to such levels hard enough to grip and tear bone when subjected to force.

The 'fight' has lasted all of 20 seconds.

As Izuku worked his trapped hand from the slimy, and now limp, tongue he had in his grip, he stepped from his place on the slouched toad, and simply looked at it.

It...was a living thing he had killed. It had eaten however many people, children, maybe none or maybe a hundred, and it was dead now. Izuku felt like he should be hyperventilating or something, but there was nothing. It was a wild animal that had been running amok and doing whatever it pleased. There were lines that couldn't be crossed, and it had done so, however unknowingly.

Instead, he merely breathed out a heavy breath through his nose, before moving back over to Wao and helping her up from her position, even though she kept her glassy-eyed state, whispering words he didn't understand and following in a daze even as he tried to snap her out of it.

Still, the method proved effective for the following 4 toads, and the quest was completed in short order. (Though it was a bit awkward coming back into town dragging the 5 dead toads by their tied-together tongues, as every other way made leverage difficult or to cumbersome.)

And on the bright side, Izuku even got a room at the inn located above the guild hall, and three blank sets of what seemed like parchment note-books and a fountain pen! So things were looking up! 'excluding all the murder.'

END OF CHAPTER

**_Man, there's gonna be a lot of stuff happening in the future. _**


	7. Chapter 6: First Analysis

_**Would you look at that, I'm updating again! It's a miracle after getting everything deleted again, ain't it? Ah, but I'm such a nice guy, always coming crawling back to write more. It's fun, you see. But enough grandstanding.  
**_  
**_First off, I still own nothing. Not the setting, the characters, damn not the property's involved. What I do own however? The time I use to entertain you all as best I can. That's why I hav Treon over under /evilwithin. And if once a month is too much, or you want to commission something from me? Well I also got a fancy new money pool. Check it out! _****_ pay_****_ /pools/c/ 8hnTKl6bfG

Just remove those little spaces. That is all.

_**__

_****_  
"Regular speech"

"LOUDER SPEECH"

_'Internal speaking/thoughts'_

**"YELLING"**

**_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"_******

**Chapter 6: First Night**

**OR**

**An Inquisitive Soul Dwells within a Dead Body and a Heroic Heart  
**  
It was night now, and Izuku was sitting on his cottony bed cross-legged as he stared at one of his hands, flexing it open and closed, with his other hand transcribing his thoughts.

_Analysis For the Future #1Alter_

_Me, Myself and I;_

_After a thorough examination of my body, I can safely say all my scars are where they should be, ranging from the small ice burn marks on my legs from the Sports Festival to the small cut on my hip from when I fell at Kindergarten. However, this is not to say my body is the exact same. After careful examination and feeling, I've noticed three key differences. More might be possible and added later, but as of this writing are my findings._

_Difference #1. My hands. While holding the same feeling of skin and scars, my nails appear to be nearly an inch thicker going into the finger bones, being much harder than before. Possibly solid pieces? Possible other bones the same? Toenails do not seem to follow phenomena._

_Difference #2. Teeth have seemed to have sharpened minutely, not enough to appear jagged or pierce the tongue, but noticeable. Previously coming in wisdom teeth seem to be missing entirely, but have instead been replaced with an almost sort of hole in the bottom sections. Not sensitive, nor do they give to probing._

_Difference #3. Emotional dissonance. After a careful look over of the day and even while stretching and relaxing, it occurs to me that my actions and feeling feel both sharper and muted at the same time. I'm in a world with no friends, family, or support besides what I can create myself, but beyond the initial nervousness and caution of surrounding, no such feelings continue to bubble. Only a small calmness, and maybe even confidence. Must look into whether this is due to body influence or simply shock._

_More will be added or detracted as I discover more about my circumstances._

_SKILLS_

_These are apparently actions related to actions or ideals that I held close to my heart before signing the Adventuring Card, with the exception of 'Race' Skills, implying they are unique to certain Races. Is there a 'Human' skill? Is a Lich far enough away from a 'Human' to warrant a new skill? What does this mean for me? More information needed._

_Lim(b)it Break: Most likely an expression of OfA overpowering my Smashes; Will it break my body the same way or cause intense pain? How much 'MP' is required to activate? Does each limb have a set limit or does it change with outside factors? Does it require focus or to be announced out-loud to be activated? Test later when able to access reliable healer and destructible area in case of collateral._

_Plus Ultra: Reference to School Creed, possibly to how to go beyond limits. MP is noticeably higher than 'HP' by a large factor. Caused by high pain threshold or unknown factor? Look into sources on how one acquires or uses MP. Without skill, would Negative HP mean death? Or simply Unconsciousness. Assume former but verify when possible. Can people be taken down while still having 'HP'? Look into relationship between Mana and MP. Connected but not the same? Two words meaning the same? Clarification needed._

_Analysis: Obvious reference to habit of cataloging and compiling information. Does it add anything or is it just a summation showing it as something I'm good at? Where is the line between Skill and personal Ability? Cross-reference with outside source if possible._

_RACE SKILLS_

_As a 'Lich', I am apparently an Undead. Which makes sense, after coming back from the dead with Eris, but the two, essentailly one Skill it provides seems to be quite interesting._

_Spirit Drain: This Skill being set into two separate categories of range tells a lot on its own. (Touch) must work on touch (possible reason for finger-nails?) But Spirit Drain itself implies Mana can be taken from the surrounding area. Why would (Touch) not effect the surroundings passively then? Rates chance between the two, but what difference? 1:2? 1:5? MP gauge allows for definitive numbers to be found, but may be tricky to count without third party._

_FORMER CLASS_

_Former Class implies I no longer have the 'Class' of Hero, but what does that mean? Did it give me perks, or was it simply a designation given for getting into UA, a 'Hero' School? Is there a way to gain back a former Class? If so, what will happen?  
_  
Izuku stared at his writings for a moment, wanting to add more but just not enough was known for the moment to actually satisfy him, instead leaving the rest of the entry blank for a moment, skipping ahead a few pages to leave room when he uncovered more, before sighing and writing again, now in a slouched position.

_LEVEL_

_As a Level 26, I am apparently at the same rank as an Adventurer who's been active for around three years now, but that doesn't tell me much. Is this a successful adventurer, or a lackadaisical one? Is there a limit to Levels, or do they just go onto infinity? How does one raise their level? Must they fight, or can other actions be used? Sewing? Writing? Forging? What about physically training? Too many outside factors to verify before assuming violence to be the only route._

_STATS_

_Stats appear to be hardline levels that the body can perform at, but what is the standard they're using? Is 1 a child? 10 a grown man? Or does it mean something different for each person? If so, does 85 fall on a high or low side? The brackets (1,000) also imply a max limit, but is that static? Will it rise as I get stronger, or will the numbers bridge the gap to that maximum? Will need to 'Level Up' Before seeing which happens. Also, what determines EXP total needed? Again similar across the board or predetermined by other factors? Can weaker people have lower levels required than stronger people? Do higher levels make training easier or is it a simple physical indicator of improvement in certain areas? _

Izuku broke free of his writing again, now having moved over to the small desk his room came with an tapping his fountain pen lightly against his bicep as he stared at his new page, before tracing his eye to the Adventure Card right beside said book, specifically the last section he had yet to touch. After a small moment of hesitation, he did so however, and let his hands start to write again, even as his eyes widened at what he saw.

_SKILL POINTS_

_These points, unbelievably, can be used to Upgrade and CREATE new or existing skills at the cost of said points. What are these? Where do they come from? Are they accrued one every 'Level'? If so, why do I possess 25 at Level 26? Was one subconsciously used? Is that possible? or was it used to create Spirit Drain? Unknown how to test at current time, but theory to further explore._

_How are these skills learned, and what determines them? Class obviously plays a factor, as would Level, but is that truly all? The User needs no prior experience with the Skill to learn or use it, so where does the information come from? Is this a result of living close to a Godly Realm as Eris put it?_

_Also, how can these card's do such a thing? Who founded the Guild, and made such things so within reach? Possible may lead to more information, search when able._

_SKILLS AVAILABLE  
_  
Here Izuku stopped again, but only to lick his dry lips for a moment and stretch, before listing off what his card was offering.  
_  
At Level 26, it appears that I have access to quite a few skills, as well as how much they would cost me. Do I buy as many as I can? Or buy a select few and see if any can synergize and be expanded? More thought required, no rushing into any unneeded yet. Maybe get recommendation from higher ranked Adventurer? Or Lich specifically?_

_Will-O' Wisp: Summon a small spirit of Fire to light a path: Cost 1 Point; Says summons spirit of Fire, what does this mean? How big is it, what range does it have, where can it appear? Does it burn like regular fire or merely cast light?_

_Control Lesser Undead: Gain command over the Lowest form of the Dead: Cost 2 Points; Unspecific, what is 'lowest' form? Animals, insects, ghosts? Too open-ended without applicable knowledge._

_Communicate with Undead: Learn the Language of the Dead: Cost 3 Points; The most clear-cut and seemingly useful. Implies that the dead have their own society or thought patterns different from when they were living._

_Bone Spears: Create a Spear of bone from Buried Dead remains: Cost 4 Points; Again unspecific. Must remains be human or do animals count? Must a certain amount of bones be needed or is sapience the deciding factor? Is it useful outside of select areas? Possible use in investigations?_

_Spirit Ball: Condense a Spirit or Ghost into a Ball shape: Cost 5 Points; What purpose does this serve? Possible storage of soul? Something to be done later, or unnamed process before?_

_Ghastly Mist: Drain Stamina from Enemies: Cost 6 Points: What constitutes as 'stamina'? HP? MP? A willingness to fight or awareness? Where does gas expel from?_

_Bone Hardening: Enhance the Durability of Bones: Costs 7 Points; Self-explanatory, but what purpose? Synergy with Bone Spears, but greater purpose? Protection of organs against sharp claws or weapons?_

_Consume Flesh: Gain more Mana by Devouring Flesh: Cost 8 Points; Vague but potentially useful. what constitutes as 'Flesh'? Would fruit work or would it have to be living meat? Animals count? Implies items like muscles, bones, living matter physically contain Mana._

_Spectral Touch: Grant the ability to touch and harm Spirits to Weapons: Cost 9 Points; Useful, potentially, implies that Spirits and other creatures cannot normally be touched. _

_Gift of Soul: Grant other MP with touch: Cost 10 Points; The most interesting, implies Mana and MP can be expelled as well as taken in. Is process painful or painless? What does it mean for body?  
_  
There was more Izuku wanted to write, but he felt his ink-stained hand start to cramp after what had to be his fourth hour writing with a small wince. he needed to be up in the morning, so at least a few hours sleep in his nice bed was warranted. He would worry about his status and skills and such in the morning when he had some more information.

For the moment however, he simply layed in his bed, and forced himself to sleep in this new, different world.

END OF CHAPTER

_**It had to be done. It wouldn't be Izuku otherwise.**_


	8. Chapter 7: First Night

**_Yet again I return! And I'm glad for that. I'm a bit between jobs for just a moment so I might slow down my writing for a bit. Or double down, depending on how generous people can be, cause I'm an optimistic sort!

Now for the standard formula. The characters, worlds, even the copyrights? Not a thing are mine! Nor do I claim them to be!

_**__

_**What I do have though? Some ways for people to show me some love, in both the form of a **_**_P A Treon_****_, under /evilwithin if you don't want to follow the link, for if you want to influence my writing progress and pledge a little something something per month. And if that isn't your speed, I ALSO have a _****_Money Pool_****_! Which is a place if you want to just give a one-time thing, or try and commission me for a story your just begging to see!_**

**_Now that the obligatory product shots are out of the way, ON WITH THE STORY!  
_**  
"Regular Speech"

"LOUDER SPEECH"

_'Internal Speaking, thoughts, Writing'  
_  
**"YELLING!"**

**_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"_******

**Chapter 7: First Night**

**OR**

**Bumps in the Night Wake the Dead  
**  
It had been a few hours since Izuku had forced himself to try and sleep and not just spend the night writing about his new physiology and possible Skill synergies, but sleep had not yet graced him with its presence.

It could be any number of things, ranging from the unfamiliar bed he was in, the day finally taking its toll on him, or even just not being tired enough to fall into a deep sleep...all of these could be correct, but they weren't.

No, what was keeping Izuku's eyes wide open and bloodshot staring straight up at the ceiling was the noise coming from the wall opposite his.

BANG, BANG, BANG!

"Ah, yes! Harder, harder! PLEASE MORE!"

WAM WAM WAM WAM

"THAT'S IT! YES! YYYEEESSSS!"

And so on for the last. 4. HOURS. At first Izuku was embarrassed beyond belief, nearly passing out from the level of blood in his cheeks, but after the second hour his mind had all but blocked out any thoughts of the activity itself, leaving only the juxtaposition of his comfy bedding and inconsistent banging, shouts, and calls for more.

At hour 5, Izuku tiredly came to the decision that sleep would not be had tonight, he thought morosely as he dragged himself out of bed, fiddling only for a moment with his nightstand lamp that looked like it had a light bulb but wasn't. What was it? how'd it work, why that shape, did someone from your world make-

Izuku slapped himself twice in the face as he realized he was about to write down his hypothesis of how a lightbulb shaped light came to be in another world. this is why he tried to get at least a bit of sleep, his wandering mind got...weirdly focused on things and tangents. Like that one time when you were 11 and hypothesized how many shots of Kacchan's Quirk it would take to get to the center of a tootsie pop (it was 7, 6 if chocolate) or why Hero's were Hero's and not Para-Helpers.

"Haaa~" Izuku sighed as he finished putting on his only pair of clothing, idly thinking of where he could get more and what kind it would be. Modern methods with mixed fibers, or single pieces of silk or cotton like was common in a medieval society? He hadn't seen anything that showed the latter, but he'd also only seen Adventurer's for any length of time.

Questions for when it was light out, Izuku decided as he stepped out into the lightly chilled air of Axel though. It wasn't that cold though, nowhere near what he'd felt even while jogging early mornings back in Japan, or what it would be closer to water, implying Axel was land-locked? Ah, another thing he needs, a map. That'd be useful for so many things...Speaking of important things though..

"I wonder if they have coffee here? Or some kind of caffeine substitute..." Izuku muttered to himself as he began to jog, body all but going on auto-pilot as his eyes took in the sights of the nearly silent town.

Ever since the 10 months under All Might, and further ingrained under Gran Torino, Izuku'd gotten into the habit of letting his brain run things in the background while his body moved. It worked wonders while lifting hundreds of pounds in reps while practicing for Entrance Exams, and it did its job in helping him memorize his surrounding.

The language almost seemed to blur at points on the signs, going between English and some kind of strange symbols, but even then it didn't really stop him from seeing what was displayed in the windows. Izuku didn't know if that was from lack of sleep or something else, but thought he'd look into that too when he had some people around. (Boy, he's getting a list...)

Still, at the moment, Izuku simply ran and watched.

_' Let's see...Shoe Store, Supply shop, hunting store, Weapon smith? , Bakery opening soon judging by the smell, some kind of Pet shop, A General store, and...a brothel?' _Izuku listen in his mind as he passed before nearly tripping as his brain actually understood what he'd just seen.

It...wasn't really illegal to have a brothel, but it definitely raised some flags, especially in a seemingly small town like Axel. With most being fronts for either trafficking of people or some of the few surviving Yakuza trying to gain some semblance of influence, but either way they were never good news. Izuku narrowed his eyes at the building for a moment before going back on his jog, deciding to go and see if the Guild was open yet. It didn't stop him from fully ingraining the two turns and sheer pink curtains the building bore, just in case.

Still, he quickly made his way back to the Inn, and could see even from that distance the Guild with a few lights on, casting the building in an almost mystical glow between the sparse lights and the sun starting to peek from the horizon. A few puffs of air later, and he was again pulling open the doors, letting loose a comforting warmth and revealing a sight Izuku wasn't expecting, and apparently the people inside didn't expect either.

It was a Mexican stand-off. In the door stood Izuku, face turning redder and redder as he grew stock-still, fearing any sudden movements would end in his death. Across the room, Luna and three other waitresses were assuming the same position, each in varying states of dis-dress with a large pile of clothes and chips in the middle of the table they were at.

Indeed, one Izuku Midoriya, Hero, Lich, person up at an ungodly hour, had wandered into a game of Strip Poker.

_'Ahh, I should have gone back to the inn.' _Were Izuku's last thoughts before the screaming started, and he saw three glowing hands race towards his face.

Then all he knew was darkness.

END OF CHAPTER

_**Gotta love that protag luck, eh?**_


	9. Chapter 8:First Deliberation

**_Looks who's back! its almost like I want as many people aware of my _****_P A treon_****_ and _****_Money Pool _****_or Something! Nahh, can't be! Would still appreciate the assistance though, what with living and all! Till then though, let's see Izuku's attempts at the same! With varying results!

Also, remember I still own nothing but the time I put into this, and never claim otherwise to the characters, worlds, or properties I throw into the mix.

That out of the way...

_**__

_**HERE. WE. GO.  
**_  
"Regular Speech"

"LOUDER SPEECH"

_'Internal Speaking, thoughts, Writing'_

**"YELLING!"**

_**"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"**_****

**Chapter 8: First Debilitation**

**OR**

**THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO GO THAT WAY!  
**  
Three things became apparent upon Izuku waking up.

The first was that it was day now, judging by the light streaming into the windows, even if the surroundings were strangely silent. The second thing he noticed was that his pants and shirt were on backwards for some reason. When had that happened?

The third thing Izuku noted, upon seeing his own elbows when looking down, was realizing that 'no, he wasn't wearing his clothes backwards'. His head was simply turned 180 degrees. And the silence he been hearing was simply because of Luna screaming her heart out directly in his ears.

Izuku decided to join her.

**"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" **Izuku screamed out loud as he suddenly shot to his feet and began running in tight circles, startling Luna from her own screaming session to begin chasing after him shouting apologies he barely comprehended.

"Oh Gods Izuku I'm so sorry! I panicked and reactedbutforgotyouwerequadweaktoholyandorder AND I'M. SO. **SOOOOORRRRYYYYYY!**" Luna's blubbered near hysterically as Izuku focused in on her crying face, eyes locked in fierce panic even as his body ran and flailed.

Was this how he was going to die? Too a lack of brain oxygen or a broken neck? How was he even moving right now? What did she mean by qua-

Izuku's thoughts were then interrupted again, by way of the column his body had run into without the crucial viewing devices known as his eyes to guide him. He was also further distracted by Luna, who's own eyes were closed and blotted with tears and only able to follow the poor boy due to his screams, quickly caught Izuku between a wall and a pair of soft places, prompting another round of screaming, if for different reasons.

_'Why is this happening~!?' _Was Izuku's dizzied thought before he felt a hand grab the top of his head.

"For the love of! Here, do, THIS!"

CR-ACK!

BREAK goes the sound Line, as well as Izuku's neck

It was now firmly noon, and Izuku was still staring straight ahead at the bar as he had been since his little 'incident'. Across from him was Wao, innocent as can be with her tankard in one hand and watching her catatonic friend.

"I still don't know what the big deal is, not like a little broken neck is enough to take a Lich down ya'know?" Wao, blunt as always, was quick to point out to Izuku, hoping to snap him out of whatever weird funk he'd been in since she stumbled in. Sadly, her words failed to reach past the stream of consciousness raging in his own mind.

_' I...am and am not dead. I was running around like normal despite the angle of my windpipe literally being broken and my head up straight despite vertebra being broken or snapped. With a sharp yank back into position, it was like nothing happened. That only did 50 'damage'. What does that mean though? More severe attacks would equal more, but is 50 a high or low effect for what would be fatal to any living thing? And I didn't even notice it when I woke up. No pain, just a numbness that might have been disconnected nerves. But there still isn't any after pains or kinks now, as if it. But if physical injury doesn't stop me, what can? Where does my body meet its limits? Do I still need air, do my lungs and muscles carry oxygen so I can float? Or could I just walk across the bottom of a lake? Is...Is Mana what keeps me alive now? Is that why I have Plus Ultra as a Skill? I assumed it was because of UA and One for All, but is it just classifying something in a way I would understand it? I have to test this, but what could I do without destroying myself...'  
_  
"I'd kind of go against the purpose of becoming a Lich if that was all it took to stop one, I mean really. You even listening right now or am I just talking to a particularly freckled wall?" Wao continued to blather idly before Izuku snapped his attention to her form, nearly startling her with how intense his gaze was on her. Whaa~!

"What do you mean 'purpose of becoming a Lich'." Izuku spoke, no stutter and facing Wao fully now.

She, not expecting such an serious input after hours of silence and a quick head re-alignment between friends, gulped for a second before speaking as quickly as she could.

"W-well, I mean, m-most people who become Lich's don't like death, not that most people like death, but these guys REALLY don't. So they, like, make a new body, or move their soul out the body, or make a PLACE their soul, or any other kind of wacky things to make sure they CAN'T die. Or at least, n-not as easily as they used to. They just keep going and doing what they do, haha..." Wao kind of trailed off laughing, trying to finish with a joke but nearly chocking on it as Izuku stayed focused with a fervent ear for her words. It'd almost be flattering if she weren't talking about why he didn't die.

With a widening of his eyes though, and a slight slouch of his posture, Izuku quickly drew forth one of his new notebooks and began to write, completely ignoring the frazzled Wao who carefully leaned back on her stool and feeling as if she just barely escaped a trail sentencing.

_' A Lich is a person who lives on after physical death, through the use of moving the soul into a new body, a physical item, or a place. When I died, Eris wanted me to 'Live in a Wonderful World' and stop the Demon King. What would be better than a person who can live through mortal wounds and still recover? I could go through dangerous areas to reach people in need so long as I have MP to drain, and my skills can allow for wide area reconnaissance as well as information gathering and evacuation measures! Eris must have made me a Lich on purpose!' With this in mind, I can see how my Skills can synchronize to make me an excellent rescue or disaster-relief specialist! Now I just need to find out more than common knowledge about the 'Lich' Class and where I can be the most help.' _Was what Izuku wrote, carefully keeping it in Japanese just in case anyone tried to look over his shoulder. Wouldn't do to look like a crazy person writing about Goddess bringing them back to life.

With heart the lightest it had been in a few days, Izuku turned back to Wao, who had been trying and failing to look nonchalant while peeking at his writing.

"Thanks Wao...That, that cleared some things up." He stated fullheartedly, now more sure than ever about his goals and next few steps.

Wao, for her part, was stammering and blushing while being thanked by such a nice-seeming, surprisingly muscular Lich for what to most was common knowledge.

'Oh God, this isn't fair!' Was all she could think while she blurted out "You're welcome!" In a voice far too loud and attracting the staffs attention for a moment, before going back to work seeing nothing questionable.

Izuku was glad he had made such a good friend so quickly.

Now, off to put the horrifying start of the day behind him, and find NEW ways to survive death!

...Wait.

END OF CHAPTER

_**Huh, so that's what faith in a higher power looks like. Neat. And next chapter, we get new skills and MOAR QUESTS!  
**_  
**_Also, to one _****_TheMonkeyTypewriter_****_, it's SUPPOSED to be inconvenient to Izuku requiring to translate everything. Izuku didn't receive that blessing that lets him read and speak the language. The fact that it registers as 'English' for his world is already a pretty huge coincidence. And the fact that he's actually pretty good at it is also helps a fair amount. _**  
_**  
Till then.**_


	10. Chapter 9: Final Toad

_**I promised Skills and Quests, the Violence merely follows.

I still own nothing but the time I put into this, and never claim otherwise to the characters, worlds, or properties I throw into the mix.

**_****

**__****_If you'd like to share a little something something though, I DO have both my _****_P A treon_**_** and **_**_Money Pool _****_for anyone who wants to. I love you all, and wish us great things together._**

**_That done, let's do the thing.  
_**  
"Regular Speech"

"LOUDER SPEECH"

_'Internal Speaking, thoughts, Writing'_

**"YELLING!"**

**_"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"  
_****  
Chapter 9: Final Toad**

**OR**

**If it Croaks, it Dies  
**  
This was the end. You knew, in your hearts of heart, you knew that you would die today.

It began like a normal day. The Blanket Bogs your people made their homes in were nice and toasty from the sun above, smalllings had wandered near them in abundance, and the pointed ones who came after you all were slower and delicious as always. It was a good day.

Then you saw a small blue light appear in front of Stupid Greg. As usual, Stupid Greg swallowed what was in front of him in an instant, making you jealous that the bastard had been able to eat a pixie as soon as it formed.

That jealousy died a quick death, but not as quickly as Stupid Greg did when a white something burst from the ground underneath him directly through his throat and out the other side.

You recoiled, as did several of your other brethren at the sudden attack, and instantly bolted out of your hiding holes, eyes going wild in different directions trying to spot the foe...

Only to come to a new, horrifying sight of hundreds of the 'pixie' lights streaking through the up-blue like tongues lashing at prey.

As you stared at the wave incoming, you knew no more.

Line break

"Wow, this is much easier than I expected!" Izuku gushed as he guided another set of 26 Will O' Wisp's in a streaking pattern towards the ground as the cries of Toads cried out before swiftly stopping. While The small ball of fire was supposed to be a small 'Spirit of Fire' that lit a path, but how it went about it was different than how the Card described it. Instead of 'lighting' anything up like actual Fire, it instead made Izuku aware of everything around the Wisp in a 3 feet radius from where it started. And when he could make up to his level within his field of vision...

Well, suffice to say very little was hidden from Izuku at the moment.

And then there was the secondary effect that Izuku was VERY pleased with, with his original plan simply being to smoke the toads out of hiding. When a Wisp touched a living creature, it dissipated back into the Ether but left a sort of 'residue' on whatever it touched, making it all but a beacon to his other Wisps senses. And with more touching every second, and the creatures safely nesting either around or under the bones of previous hunts trapped in the bogs, well, he couldn't have asked for a better place to practice Bone Spears as well as Bone hardening.

By the end of his little rounds of 'experimenting', Izuku was barely paying the field any attention as he simply willed the Wisps into formation and Spears on anything bigger than a person lurking in the swampy hills while he wrote down potential combinations for the other two Skills he had bought, Command Lesser Undead and Communicate with Undead.

By the time Izuku snapped back to reality, it was to the sight of Wao staring blankly out at the formerly rolling hills, now looking like a war had taken place with no survivors, the blood of toads running the mud beneath them sickly shiny rivers under the light, marked only by the jutting white weapons that curved like uncaring fangs and ribs through flesh and muscle.

"All of them. You killed...all of them." Wao spoke in a dead tone, eyes barely comprehending what she was seeing.

"Yep! All 248 of them! Though I assume there are more in surrounding areas, what with Territory behaviors and possible evolutionary concerns if they come and go at all. Still, I think this was a massive success!" Izuku cheerfully stated, as if he was unaware of the massacre he had just created with two supposedly simple Skills. It was as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring.

_'Is this...is this the kind of person it takes to be a Hero?'' _Wao thought as she stared out at the rolling hills of corpses.

If it was, she was kind of glad she had never met a Hero before Izuku.

"Hey, this is a bit awkward to ask, but...how are we going to get these all back to town?" Izuku asked sheepishly as she fully turned to Wao, rubbing the back of his head with his pen in a circle.

Now all Wao could think about was all the swear words she would be uttering while paying some other adventurers to haul corpses.

END OF CHAPTER

_**It's always fun to see Skills exploited, and hoo boy are we just getting started. Hope ya'll enjoyed your regularly scheduled bloodbath!**_


	11. Chapter 10: First Decision

_**COMING AT YA'LL LIVE! Yeah, I'm back in no short order, after cementing the next few chapters, as well as some other things in the background. You'll find out what in the closing section! So that'll be fun!  
And NOW, a Disclaimer! I still own nothing but the time I put into this, and never claim otherwise to the characters, worlds, or properties I throw into the mix.**_****

**_If you'd like to share a little something something though, I DO have both my _****_P A treon_**_** and **_**_Money Pool _****_for anyone who wants to. I love you all, and wish us great things together._**_****_

_**Let's see what Adventures have happened in the interum, eh?  
**_**  
Chapter 10: First Payment**

**OR**

**An Analyzing Soul Dwells Within a Breaking Body and Comparative Mind**

**Gonna be that kind of day, eh?  
**  
Izuku was currently looking at a piece of paper with a ludicrous amount of money written on it.

Wait, that wasn't Yen, this was MORE. Oh, that didn't help at all.

At 5,000 a Toad, Izuku, and by extension of being present Wao, had earned in a single afternoon 1,240,000 Eris. And possibly instilled a biological fear to any remaining toads if any actually existed, but that was more so Izuku's shocked mind trying desperately to grasp at any fact beside his sudden fortune.

And how deeply Luna was breathing as she looked over the material list she had gotten after the last Quest-goers finished up with hauling back the bodies from his trail of destruction, but that was for different reasons and SERVED AS AN EXCELLENT NEW DISTRACTION.

With the mass extinction event of the Toads having been an incredible success outstripping by literal orders of magnitude what was normally required, a new Quest had to be issued to get people working.

The Quest, Luna had decided with a massive grin, would of course be gathering and beginning to dismantle said Toads for the resources they could gain from them before they spoil. And BOY was it something to see literal lines of people carting giant Toads to campsites and restaurants around the town, where the store owners were either overjoyed at the sheer amount of product to work with or cursing about how the price of Toad Meat was going to be rock-bottom for a while. But everyone was happy that the threat to their children was gone.

Everyone... except the Adventurers. From the moment Izuku and Wao had walked back in empty handed, there had been jeers about the new blood chickening out on the first job.

That died a quick death when the two of them easily, if a bit lopsidedly for one of them, walked up to the counter, declared the job completed and asked for a easy way to collect the corpses for proof or use. Which wasn't even that rare or anything, they were toads that were the size of the average human, and nearly twice as heavy, and Luna had no problem with commissioning a cart for their use.

Then...

"Ah...I'll need more than one cart though Luna. There are...quite a few." Izuku said, pausing at different parts to try and word this correctly.

Luna, taking the pauses for a lack of confidence or simple shyness, merely smiled a bit brighter.

"Oh, that should be no problem! Each cart can comfortably carry around 10 Toads thanks to being made with Druidic Enchantments, allowing the wood to hold tremendous weight while still being usable like normal! Though you WILL need a horse as well..." Luna began to trail off into the air for a second, seemingly doing calculations in the air by the movement of her finger on an invisible abacus, but quickly snapped out of it.

"But that could also run at a higher cost than simply walking back and forth with the bodies after service taxes and the time needed. Why don't you tell me how many were killed and I'll have a service notified to help cart them?" Luna added with a cheerful fist pump, looking utterly adorable and making Izuku feel much more at ease with such a reliable figure to help him.

"Thank you Luna! My last count was 248, but there might also be carrion or other monsters getting at the carcass's I left behind. Some additional hands would be amazing!" Izuku gushed, barely noticing Luna, and the surrounding bar who were eavesdropping, freeze completely still for a moment.

"Tw-tow-two HUNDRED." Luna mangled out, sounding simultaneously choked up and like a tire releasing air.

"And forty-eight!" Wao tacked on at the end, tone hollow and eyes unseeing even as her hand reached for a mug of something that wasn't there.

After that, Luna had been a blur of movement even to Izuku's eyes, seemingly, or potentially literally, teleporting around the Guild hall and sending other attendants out in droves throughout the city about the massive supply increase and to get then all into proper care before, like Izuku feared, a bigger monster moved in smelling an easy meal. The new Quest went up in short order as well, and while people took it, everyone of them knowingly or not shot Izuku a look.

It...it was like fear, desperation, and jealousy, and it made Izuku feel both uncomfortable and sick. He could understand the first one, he had been in town literally a day and a half, and in that time had genocided a local problem species on what usually was a simple extermination. Like a fumigator somehow killing every Wasp in the city.

But the other two...these were grown men and women who decided to live a life of adventurer and to help better the lives of other people...so why be jealous? Because he was younger than them? Did they not have their own stories that Izuku could barely comprehend?

The two emotions...were so familiar to Izuku, but never from this perspective. He had always been the underdog, the one barely scrapping by and struggling with all his might to reach one step closer. A Quirkless nobody with his head in a notebook, A kid who can't control his Quirk without breaking himself but still going far in the Sports Festival, beating a murderous vigilante before he can kill another Hero and your classmate...Saving Koata from his parents killer. Izuku Midoriya was someone who rose to the occasion despite the odds, but to be the other side of the equation.

It felt...it felt Wrong. These people...for all that he had seen in your short time, were sad. Defeated. They spent their days doing petty or short-term Quests in and around the town for what amounted to pocket money and used on whatever petty object or drink they wanted until the money was gone and the cycle repeated, from what you had overheard as well.

(Amazing what people don't think others hear if they're doing something else. Or what can be inferred or found from such)

But nothing Izuku had heard had any...it sounded rude to say, but meaning. Goals. Yes, that was the word.

As he watched Wao finally get a drink to fill her grasping hand, still dazed, as he noted Luna still buzzing around with a smile like Christmas had come early, as he saw the town of Axel burst into motion in a way he had yet to see, he knew that most of these people had no greater goal, or inspiration.

They enjoyed their bubbles of life, doing the same or similar things while hanging out with people they cared for. It could even be related to a person doing an average 9 to 5 job, simply happy and existing, and it was normal to do that. But...that wasn't being a Hero, and neither should it be for an Adventurer.

Everyone from Izuku, his classmates, the entirety of UA, and every Hero he had ever met or heard of had a Drive that pushed them forward. It could be a small thing, like money for her parents, or living up to the Ingenium name for Uraraka-chan and Iida-kun. It could also be something bigger than one's self, like Kacchan's goal of becoming Number 1, or his own dream of succeeding All Might in becoming the New Symbol of Peace. But it was the such a simple thing that seemed to just not exist in this town. There had been no people spoken of with bated breath, nothing pushing the boundary or trying to better themselves by whatever means they could. It had been a day, but it was a full day that showed all that it needed to.

And there was another big thing that was missing.

Inspiration. Ever since the talk with Eris that day, upon waking up in that Crater, Izuku had promised to become a Hero in this world, and defeat the Demon King.

But he had only heard of the Demon King. A monstrous existence that could have ended the fighting ages ago but simply lived in a castle doing SOMETHING for the past near 20 years while his generals went about and did whatever they wanted over the continents. Not once had Izuku heard any whispers or tales being told about legendary hero's coming to the rescue, being rescued or helping those who need it. Just tales of caution, pain, and confusion about what the Demon King could possibly be doing. There WAS NO Hero, or shining light for people to look to in times of need. No Symbol of Peace. Nothing to look forward to outside of what could be enjoyed now.

Was that why no-one felt like they had motivation? Because they didn't? Did the people born during this time just say 'this is as good as it'll get' and decide to stay as is? If it was 'just the way things were', would they even try and change if they knew otherwise?

Izuku's teeth were grinding in his mouth a bit now as he clutched at his bag of money, the other hand nearly cracking the complimentary mug of juice he had been given at his spiraling thoughts.

It was an out of nowhere train of thought but it didn't mean it was wrong. Something had to change.

And As Izuku looked at the massive amount of money in his hand, he think he had some ideas on how to change it.

CHAPTER END

**_Our Boy's got some plans ya'see. And some capital to get things started too, always helpful! Oh, and Luna, who would have thought having a Hero in town would be so IMMEDIATELY Lucrative! And only this morning did you twist his head around. Time sure flies._**

**_ALSO, OTHER NEWS. I'm finally gonna be making a little fic graveyard/post bin/idea shop! Because part of why this tok so long to get out was a combination of writing spaces for different stories, still no P A Treons to focus me in any particular direction, and the fact that I feel like my ideas can be a lot of fun for some people to write. So you can look forward to that soon! Till then, Enjoy, and make sure to comment or try to guess where we go from here! The more active the thread is, the more active I am! Toodles!_**


	12. Chapter 11: First Viewing

**_Well, this escalated quickly. Granted, I planned it to be exactly such, but the sheer order of magnitude and change it brings is grand. Honestly something I'm having a hella lot of fun making and planning as I go along.

Here's hoping you all enjoy the ride.

_**__

_**NOW for DISCLAIMER! I Own NOTHING. Thank you for being so aware of that fact. But you know what you SHOULD be aware of? My **_**_P A treon_****_ and _****_Money Pool _**_**or Something! Nahh, can't be! Would still appreciate the assistance though, what with living and all!**_

_**NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED STORY. THANK YOU.  
**_  
"Regular Speech"

"LOUDER SPEECH"

_'Internal Speaking, thoughts, Writing'_

**"YELLING!"**

_**"Attack Names/Spells/Chants/Intense Chatting"**_****

**Chapter 11: First Perspective**

**OR**

**"Oh, So THAT'S what he did...WHAT"  
**  
'Chris' was struggling to hold in a variety of emotions and nervous twitches from her place in the crowd, and all of them were focused on the reason of said crowds gathering.

Izuku 'I Guess I'll Live' Midoriya. The kid 'Chris' had accidentally sent into the world with no Blessing, no contract to translate language, and barely even a body.

She had raced down to the planet-side as soon as she was able, hurriedly, BUT STILL FULLY!, sending several other souls to other locations before booking it into her chosen 'costume'. She had expected to hear tales of a strangely helpful ghost helping the town, or a dead body setting off a search for an unknown murderer, and as a best case scenario, have a very confused guy who no-one could understand wandering around town in a slump. All these things would have been solvable, within prediction, and perfect to help such a misfortune soul!

Only instead of finding ANY of those things, instead she and a gathering of what seemed to be three quarters of Axel gathered to near the front gates, where the somehow solid, SOMEHOW ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, Izuku Midoriya stood on a small stage in front of a graveyard of picked clean Toad bones and skeletons.

_'Which he apparently killed over the course of a single afternoon after choosing his Skills'._ 'Chris' thought far more hysterically than normal as she saw the Guild announcers begin to call for the crowd to quiet down.

And there was ANOTHER insanity she never could have seen coming. People being reincarnated weren't supposed to be so instantaneously effective! They were teenagers! It was supposed to be gradual, to ease them into the setting and make sure no-one knows people from other realms were appearing! They shouldn't have even had the ability to fight so well!

Hell, 'Chris' thought Izuku was just a weird, cute, mumbling, physically built guy who never grew out of a Chuuni dream of being a Super-Hero, or something! He was from a human based world, it shouldn't have been THAT bad!

Her thoughts continued to spiral over the impossibilities she had been presented with, but as said anomaly began what he called everyone here for...

Her brain short-circuited.

**[Dem Bones Rattling Like Line Breaks]  
**  
Izuku felt like his brain was short-circuiting as he stared out at the gathered crowd before him. He had asked Luna to spread the word around town to gather near the gates for something important, and had asked how much a small stage and all the picked clean Toad bones would cost to buy before said gathering.

A cool 1 million Eris later, the bones were back under the sun and a small rolling stage usually used for town criers and visiting performers was set up within the hour.

As he stared out at the hundreds of people dressed in clothing ranging from normal to frankly fantastical, he took a deep breath and decided he'd come too far to stop here, not after the first step was taken.

He heard the Guild attendants call for silence, and knew that was his que to head up to the front. In the center of the podium wasn't a microphone, but a magic crystal that resonated with the voice speaking into it to make the sound louder, making it functionally similar. Any other time he'd be enthusiastic about why it allowed such and the how such a thing was used elsewhere, but now wasn't the time.

Now was the time to change the world.

"Adventurers. Townsfolk. People of Axel. I have gathered you all today to speak of something important." Izuku breathed out into the crystal, serious and instantly getting their attention. But there was no idle pause to fill the silence, not now, that would undermine the message.

" I have been in your town for a short time. Days, hours even, but I can see only one thing. People milling about without reason and others deciding 'it's too hard, why try?'." He continued.

NOW there was some muttering, some in the crowd seeming embarrassed on being called out, while others looked livid, ready to draw weapons. The vast majority were simply shocked at what he was saying, or uncaring still. Izuku saw all of these, and knew he had to continue.

"I'll tell you why you should try then. As a stranger looking in, all I see is potential being wasted." And the words stopped the anger flowing in an instant, replacing it with more confusion.

"There are people twice, three times, or even four times the Level I am in this town, Adventurers who have been such for YEARS compared to my meager experience, yet in a single day I completed a Quest that would have taken anywhere from near to all of you working at such to succeed at the same. Do you know why?" Izuku punctuated this with a quick thumbs up at himself, channeling what he hoped was some of Kacchan's charisma for the moment to the now silent crowd.

"Because I never stopped pushing myself. Everything I attempt, I combine and theorize and gather I use as best as I can before I make it even BETTER or someone shows me what I've been doing wrong. To reach the farthest point I can achieve and force my way past it regardless. TO GO PLUS ULTRA!" Izuku shouted. The crowd was barely in his mind at this point, what he was saying needed to be said.

"People called Axel the Town of Beginnings. But so far, all I've seen are people done with it all or content with what they have. WELL NO MORE!" Izuku continued to speak, taking the mic and turning his back fully while taking in the sight of bone after bone on the ground.

He had gained 4 levels from the Toad Massacre earlier, and at 30, a new Skill had appeared, which Izuku wasted no time in buying.

**[Manipulate Bone]. **For 14 points, it was a Skill that allowed Izuku to reshape any bone either inside his body or had killed himself. And oh boy did he have an idea on what to do with this pile.

The microphone was tossed to the staring Guildhand off to the side as Izuku raised both arms into the air, and threw them downward toward a trail of bone leading to the massive pile.

His next words were heard by everyone, even as the bones began to shine.

"FOR TOO LONG HAVE PEOPLE BEEN CONTENT AND READY WITH THIS LIFE! MONSTERS ENDANGERING LIFE, PEOPLE IGNORING OPPORTUNITY! WELL NO MORE! EVERYONE WHO FEELS THEY CAN BE MORE, THAT THEY CAN BE THE HEROES PEOPLE CRY OUT FOR! THIS IS FOR YOU!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, as the mass of shining marrow ROSE into the air, arching and spreading in ways such stiff material should.

Surfaces were smoothed flat as if by hand, four large protrusions shot off in four directions as the bone was spread thin as can be before being **Hardened** into shape stronger than ever. Everyone watched with awe and barely contained fear as the shine bent and worked, the words he was speaking parching their throats and calling something primal to their nature.

It...was a building. No, it was a CASTLE.

Four towers sprouted out and connected to a sleek, two story building with empty window and door frames, and an expanded back section that looked to be three times the size of the front. It was like a Guild Hall made of marble with spine like lines running across the walls like textures. It was as beautiful as it was deadly looking.

And then there was the massive shapes along the front. What looked like a sharp curve down and back up beside what looked like an upward facing arrowhead with a line piercing through it. Were they magic signs? They were breathless at the sudden construction and emotion leap they had been lead down. But it wasn't over yet.

He was panting now, but nowhere near done. With a quick motion, the crystal was, if shakily, passed back into his hands.

"This..Pant...is my answer. I will open UA High School, haah, to teach whoever wishes to better themselves and walk the path of a Hero." Izuku barely got out before forcing his second wind and letting one last yell escape before he passed out on his feet.

"THOSE WHO HERE THESE WORDS, JOIN ME AND WE WILL CHANGE THIS WORLD! CHANGE OURSELVES! AND CHANGE THE FUTURE! FOR THE BETTER! **PLUS! ULTRA! AT THE ULTIMATE ACADEMY!**" He shouted as he walked into the now named UA High, unmindful of the shocked people he had just left behind, far more focused on getting to a nice, comfy wall before passing out.

END OF CHAPTER

**_The die has been cast, and holy shit will this have consequences. Of many ways. I can't wait to see how people get with this too, and who all I have planned or expect to come out of nowhere._**

**_And on another note, I might add more to this or play out some other stuff. Originally intended for this to be an interlude but decided to just go through with the announcement because I didn't want to randomly switch to three different POVS. But I might do something special in the next few things. We'll see. Well, either way, remember to comment and such! The more active the thread, the more active I am after all! HA, ahh, that's a habit I need to break still. Cheers!_**


	13. Chapter 12: First Students

_**Back for more, and I really love how this story is going so far, as well as the warm reception its received. Also feel a little guilty for not continuing my Ladybug crossover after all this time, but its hard to get back into it without a steady stream or source of GOOD stories in that fandom to inspire me. My Hero, no problem, beloved and showing a wonderful fandom full of options. Ladybug...eh. The show itself is great, but I shouldn't need to keep watching the episodes over and over unless their a personal favorite or I'm doing a Watch write-up or something. Which could be some fun...**_

_**The disclaimer, and then we go to work. I Own NOTHING, and certainly not these included properties. Just thought you should know. And you know what else you should know about? My **__**P A treon**__** and **__**Money Pool **__**or Something! Nahh, can't be! Would still appreciate the assistance though, what with living and all! Thank you for the attention.**_

_**School is in Session...**_****

**Chapter 12: First Students**

**OR**

**Teacher's Degree? Pfft, Where We're Going, We Don't Need No Stinking Degree!**

Izuku Midoriya was not a teacher. He did not go to school for years with the sole purpose of teaching the next generation(s) a subject he was passionate about, did not claim to have a masters in any subject be it language, or any other operation, and he was not the most confident person when it came to handling attention for long periods of time from more than three people.

What he did have though? Passion. Passion and purpose aimed towards a distant dream with a certainty that captivated the heart as much as the mind. An understanding and ability to breakdown abilities and traits to simpler terms and a willingness to experiment with new and old options to create a greater end product.

He was just one person, barely even a grown man, but people saw something in him. He had five people who came to his new school and decided to see where it went.

Izuku wanted to throw up. The decision to remake UA was looking crazier and crazier after the adrenaline high, and now that he really thought about it, Magic high as well, went away, but it was too late to back down now. And more than that...to do so now, would be the same as failing the original UA as well. That was what it felt like at least.

Izuku slapped himself to bring himself back into the present, now seated at his 'desk', which was simply a flat sheared surface made of bone like the rest of the building, the legs extending out from the floor below. On said desk were the temporary Guild Cards for the five prospective students, each set to reveal only publicly available information and to 'revert' after a 16 hour period away from the person who marked them for safety reasons.

They...were a mixed bunch but that was what Hero's were.

NAME: MEGUMIN CRIMSON

GENDER: FEMALE

CLASS: **WIZARD**

MAGIC: **EXPLOSION**

REASON FOR ENROLLING: To create the GREATEST EXPLOSION

And oh BOY did that not help Izuku's confidence. He'd have thought Kacchan somehow reincarnated into a girl in this world, but that theory went straight out of the window within seconds of the first meeting. With her confidently striding through his door-less front entry way, slapping down the pass, and then declaring 'THIS SCHOOL SHALL BE THE PERFECT PLACE TO PERFECT EXPLOSION!' before walking right back out without another word certainly made an impression. And there was also the eye-patch, did that effect her aiming capabilities? And what kind of explosion was it? Close or long-range? Kinetic? Magic? Thoughts for later, there were still more students.

The next two were actually from the 'Support' Classes, and boy wasn't that a surprise to discover. That there existed A whole separate system based off living and working skills. It made sense, Izuku supposed after thinking about it for a minute, that not everyone would be able to go into battle at the drop of a hat, which is apparently what was the main factor deciding what side of the coin you fall on when getting a Guild Card.

ANYWAY, the boys. They both seemed to be the average youth, wanting to explore the world, or at least beyond their town, and not able to afford the cost of hiring a team of Adventurers to guard them while doing so for any level of time. Not even going into getting GOOD guards apparently. A bit disappointing, but it was to be expected with a brand new school. Still, the boys themselves were interesting.

NAME: ANDREW SIGH

GENDER: MALE

CLASS: **WRITER**

SKILLS: **SPEED WRITING, PLOT COHESION, RHYTHM, QUILLION**

MAGIC: **NONE**

REASON FOR ENROLLMENT: I wish to write books that truly show the world as it is, and not just from my room.

There was no actual explanation to what the Skills were, but Izuku could extrapolate at least a little bit before he heard it from the guy himself. Still, there was the other...

NAME: SHEER FOR'CE

GENDER: MALE

CLASS: **WOODSMAN**

SKILLS: **FORESTRY, WOOD BREAK.**

Magic: **SUMMON MINOR SPIRIT (EARTH)**

REASON FOR ENROLLMENT: To see the world beyond my woods, and cut NEW woods!

It...well, the actual UA accepted Kacchan, and this wasn't THAT bad...

The next two were actually a bit of a surprise as well, being not actual kids like the other three but full on adult, or at least older than Izuku.

NAME: CHRIS

GENDER: FEMALE

CLASS: **THIEF**

SKILLS: **STEAL, POCKET, LUCKY STRIKE, BARGAIN**

MAGIC: **None**

REASON FOR ENROLLMENT: I-I thought you had a nice voice? And this could really help!

She...actually wrote the pause. Still, having someone older among the class would hopefully help the people stay focused or at least give some easier respect with someone older deferring to him...or something, Izuku was never really big on those kind of powerplays.

The last one though...

NAME: VESPA

GENDER: **FEMALE**

CLASS: **DRUID**

SKILLS: **GROWTH, VINE WHIP, HERB GATHERING**

MAGIC: **BARK SKIN, GOOD BERRY, COMMUNE WITH TREES**

REASON FOR ENROLLMENT: I've been stuck in a rut for years now and need a fresh change of pace

Here Izuku was a bit hesitant. She was, by virtue of number of skills and magic available, the most diverse of the class, but still in the same city as the others. This could prove a detriment to the other students if she shows too strong, but could work in the opposite way if the others are brought up to the same level. But that was the thing.

None of the Cards showed what level they were, and people had no real way of knowing unless outright told, by backtracking stats, or by looking at what they kill. Experience wins a battle more often than shock and awe trump cards, but they both had their places.

As the cards settled on the table, each representing a person returning the following day to begin their tutelage, Izuku planned his sessions long into the night.

And felt a satisfied grin come to his features, before it hastily fell as he remembered to a raise a wall blocking the front gate before anything wandered in for the night.

END OF CHAPTER

_**Sorry for the info dump there, but here are the starting runners. You'll recognize some of them, most not. And you bet your ASS Megumin would sign up for Hero School if you build one in front of her out of the bones of your former enemies.**_

_**Look forward to more soon.**_


	14. Chapter 13: First Class

_I return, with more content! Sorry about the drop off with this in particular, I know a lot of people truly enjoy it, but I had to decide some things with this story, both for the long term and on my side as the writer. After much deliberation, I came to an important decision. From now on, chapters of this story and any other mainline piece I do, excluding my Quest and drabble bin, will be posted 1 to 2 weeks in advance to them here on my . Because throughout my entire time I've had it, not a single person has come yet, so I'll be trying out a new form. I'm sorry if this doesn't jive with everybody, but it's simply me trying to get a source of income._

_With this said, on to the chapter and a small disclaimer!_

__I Own NOTHING, and certainly not these included properties. Just thought you should know. And you know what else you should know about? M_y P A treon and Money Pool, with the first being home to all kinds of new works, and the latter for if you'd like to either commission something from me, or just treat me to a little something something! I would still appreciate the assistance though, what with living and all!__ Thank you for the attention._

_Now let's start the lesson._

Chapter 13: First Class

or

Class is in Session

It was finally time. Class was now in session. And with five sets of eyes in front of him, shining with excitement, or at least the bare amount of enthusiasm, Izuku nearly ran away entirely.

But he couldn't do that. Both because he had a promise and goal he had to live up too now, and the bone shackles he had tied to the 'desk' beside him, attached to his ankles. Those helped quite a bit.

"O-okay! Good, everyone's here! That means...w-we can start!" Izuku tried to cheer, though that fell through when only two of the five responded at all...

Was this what Present Mic-Sensei went though everyday!?

"R-right then...well. I know your names and some of your skills from what you shared, but the people around you likely don't. So...let's do some introductions. I'll start off, if no-one minds?" Izuku managed to breath out, getting some nods which helped him feel a bit better as well. Slow and steady...

"Hoooh. Okay. My name is...Izuku Midoriya, and I want to make the world a better place. I enjoy people watching, exercise, and my favorite food is katsudon. Who'd like to go next?" With a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders, the ball was on his students.

Who wasted literally zero time taking a step back in unison, leaving only a witch-dressed girl who had to be Megumin. The confirmation came just as quickly.

"Oh? Already backing down from one such as I? At least you fools know your place! I am Megumin, of the legendary Crimson Clan! With a chant of my spell, all are blown away in a wonderful Explosion! My dream is to take the path of Explosion wherever I go! And my hobby is EXPLOSIONS! Step forward if you dare!" The tiny girl spoke before laughing behind her hand, making Izuku twitch for a moment for many reasons.

"Aren't you that girl who's been living in a tree the past week?"

Only for both of their moods to come crashing down with that single sentence from the older Druid. What?

Indeed, looking over the now crouching girl poking her fingers at the floor, Izuku could see signs of grass stains on her coat, leaves around her hat, and leggings that were starting to look frayed. He had assumed it was simply from an active lifestyle or from being short of time before coming to the school, but living in a tree? New world or not, that was way too stupid and dangerous. Dangerously stupid, especially for such a small girl.

So absorbed with his thoughts, he nearly missed the next introduction.

"M Vespa, Druid for the last few years, and my dream is...to fight someone strong, I guess. Thing I do the most is herb collecting, but don't really consider that a hobby... I like different teas?" Vespa hesitantly finished before settling back down with the nods from the rest of the group.

Now wasn't the time for distractions. Any thoughts could be kept till the end, or when Izuku was alone.

The next to step up was the lumberjack, who had kept a small scowl on his face the entire time and made no small showing of how much he towered over everyone else in the room, standing at a minimum 6'5".

"I am Sheer. A Lumberjack. My dream is to chop new wood. My hobby is chopping wood. My favorite food is wood chips." Came Sheer's deep voice, before simply sitting back down as everybody sweat dropped at the sheer repetition.

Seeing a free moment, a flamboyant youth stepped up, where he immediately bowed towards Vespa and Chris, completely turning his back to the rest.

"Greetings! It seems I was right in choosing such an odd place for my education! My name, of course, is Andrew of the Sigh family! Remember it well, for soon you shall see it far and wide when my masterpieces of the written word spread far and wide! Oh, but I wouldn't mind a companion or two along my journey. And what of you, my dear silver Angel?" With his spiel done, and wink on his face, he clearly tried to schmooze Chris while the rest merely looked on with half-lidded eyes.

Chris herself apparently didn't now how to handle it, if the full-face blush and mild shaking she was showing were any indication.

"A-a-ANGEL! Whaaaaat~? An angel? ME? That's just RIDICULOUS! I'm j-j-just a a Thief with high Luck and speed and going to church and OH LOOK IZUKU-SENSEI'S CHAINED TO HIS DESK!" She clearly panicked and stuttered before pointing out the first things her eyes could see. As it did the trick, she breathed out a shaky sigh, before realizing what she just said.

It was Izuku's turn to blink for a moment as the eyes turned to him, but even then all he could really do was sheepishly laugh while raising a leg, showing the solid binding before it popped right off, cleanly split in the middle.

"Ah, haha. I might have been a bit nervous this morning. Still, it's great to meet everyone! I'm sure we'll get to know each other more in the coming days, but for now, we have something bigger to work on!" Izuku again tried to cheer, completely ignoring the existence of the chains as he got to his feet and felt the school shift to his liking, bringing forward a new hall and door behind him.

With a bright smile, the words left his lips.

"Let's start with some battle training!"

END OF CHAPTER

_I know this won't satisfy everyone for right now, but for my part, it's to get the story flowing again. And to minimize risk of losing all I've done so far._


	15. Chapter 14: First Beating

_**And, for the next continuation, From here on, the net chapter will be posted 1 to 2 weeks in advance over on . Enjoy!**_

_**I Own NOTHING, and certainly not these included properties. Just thought you should know. And you know what else you should know about? My **__**P A treon**__** and **__**Money Pool**__**, with the first being home to all kinds of new works, and the latter for if you'd like to either commission something from me, or just treat me to a little something something! I would still appreciate the assistance though, what with living and all! Thank you for the attention.**_

**Chapter 14: First Beating**

**OR**

**BREAK EM DOWN YA'LL**

He told them to come at him with the best they could do.

He came in like a shrub-colored meteor in an instant. Vespa's vines were ripped from the ground and used as whips to grip Andrew as an impromptu flail, smashing her into a divot in the wall. Sheer's Earth spirit was shattered by fists clad in bone plate and the pieces were flying fast enough to knock grooves into the surrounding walls. Megumin, halfway through her chant, was rendered silent with a kick to the ribs and there she still was, on her side struggling for breath.

The only one who was even remotely surviving was Chris, but even that seemed to be coming to an end now that Izuku Midoriya, the lich who had opened a school for hero's, bore down on her like a demon from Hell.

"Wow! You guys are terrible!" He brightly exclaimed as he ducked under a frantic jab from Chris, grabbing the arm and throwing her down to the wall behind him. Luckily, she was able to spring off of it before the full impact could hit, but even that seemed to have given her a limp.

And Izuku...called for a stop.

"Okay. I think I have a good measure of you all now. It's...definitely something. Everyone form up into a circle near Megumin, she's still struggling a bit." Izuku stated before grabbing both Sheer and Andrew's legs in each hand, as Chris limped and Vespa fell from her indent to her knees, where she too crawled and collapsed in the circle.

"And you've all earned a healing potion!" He cheered as the floor opened up, revealing a collection of the miraculous drinks all moving in the direction of their outreaching hands, as they gave disheartened or gurgled calls of thanks.

With the intention of starting a Hero school, and with no actual dedicated or hired Nurse, Cleric, or what have you, Izuku instead used around 300,000 Eris all towards Healing Potions, all carefully stored within the bone walls and 'vaults' of the building he had made. With the malleability of the walls under his command, the precious drinks that apparently existed in this world could be easily delivered to whoever needed them, so long as Izuku could see them. And if the were unconscious or unable to drink it for whatever reason?

Well needles were such great inventions...

"Okay, let's go over this in terms of who went first and what your plans were! So! Vespa, I liked the initiative with the vines, but what were you actually going for with it? To bind me, making it easier for the others? Distract me?"

"Urph. No, no. My plan was to throw some vines to keep you in place while I got mild poison in your eyes. Thought it'd be enough, but damn man, you knocked me over like a five pound bell. How'd you do that?" Vespa groaned out before throwing out a question of her own.

"Practice and facing bigger targets. Always make sure to have back-up plans or ways to lead forward to what you want available." Izuku shot back before turning slightly to face the next person.

"Andrew. I couldn't really see what you were trying to do outside of charging at my wildly. What were you up to?"

The grimace on Andrew's face said quite a bit, but he eventually said what he was planning, now not nearly as bombastic, like he had been dumped in a vat of water.

"I...was trying to get ink in your eyes. As a Writer, I do not excel at physical matters very well, so I was hoping my distraction would at least let someone else have a shot. That, as you saw, evidently failed." He finished bitterly.

Izuku nodded for a moment, as he thought about the reasoning, and smiled as he noticed Chris helping Megumin shift to a sitting position with the empty vials of potion in front of them.

"All told, that's not a bad plan from what I know of you so far. The only thing I would have done differently is if you threw the ink while I was pulling the vines. It was a small window, but it would have had better chances of success. But that's for now, we'll go over more options when we're done.

Andrew looked put-out, but Izuku still noticed the small spark of determination in his eyes as he moved on.

Sheer started speaking before Izuku could even start this time.

"Sheer hoped Earth would throw Izuku at Sheer so Sheer could choppa choppa. But Earth break by Izuku and Asploda before Sheer could choppa choppa. Very sad now." He finished with a resolute nod, axe on his belt now.

Izuku wasn't expecting the shift in grammar at all though, and now thought about the previous words he'd heard them speak. Did Sheer...not speak whatever language this was called here?

That could be an issue...

"That...would be a solid plan, but it relied on your opponent being either weaker or unable to break rocks. Which is a god assumption! For most people. It just doesn't work past a certain point. " He worked out, before seeing the blank look on Sheer's face.

How to reword this...

"No choppa choppa without better rocks? Too strong for now, weaker no good?" Izuku tried to articulate, feeling weird on his tongue, but was rewarded with Sheer's eyes widening and his fist impacting his palm, showing the face of realization.

"And I can already tell what Megumin was doing, chanting for a spell I could only guess was Explosion based off literally every word I've heard about or from her, so I cut it off as I could. Am I wrong?" Izuku counted off as he pointed at Megumin, who could only try to hide behind her hat.

"I mean, you not not NOT wrong..." She pouted.

"I thought so. I would recommend quite a few things. Physical conditioning to help take blows, practicing casting while moving, and possibly cutting down the chant or learning to hide while you do so. As a start."

As the small girl looked like arrows were going though her with each suggestion, Izuku finally came to his final student.

"And Chris! I legitimately didn't know what you were doing. You got behind me and I even lost track of you a few times, but you kept reappearing around the others. I would have aimed for you first, but then I felt the sheer amount of power Megumin was aiming and had to stop that. So what were you up too?" Izuku genuinely asked in confusion, not having noticed or realized anything happening outside their short exchanges.

She blushed for a moment before drawing herself together and speaking.

"Right! Right. A plan. It was...to see if you had anything helping you to take away first! But you didn't...so I tried to stab you! But you kept twirling and ducking and throwing me around..." Chris began to trail off with a sheepish chuckle.

You nearly had the urge to start doing the same.

"Yeah...I don't really have armor or anything right now, just my body and bones which I can make a bit harder right now. It got the job done, but I guess that WOULD be a bit tricky for a Thief to be effective by...Hey, you have a Skill called 'Steal', right?" He suddenly questioned, startling Chris again.

"A-Ah! Yes, I do, but w-what does that have to do with anything?" She stuttered.

"Can you only steal 'physical' items? Like, can you steal someone's shoes while they're running, or parts of their body? What about concepts? Like their 'ability to dodge'?" Izuku started to ramble, getting closer to Chris as if to physically see all the Skill could do, as she crept back as slowly as possible.

"RIGHT! Not the time for this. Okay. I have some ideas about how you all operate, now to get you some training to better yourselves!" He cried out as he snapped out of his possible thought lines.

The rest of the class merely wondered if this was really such a great idea, former injuries throbbing.

END OF CHAPTER

_**Part three in a while. You all know where to find it when it comes.**_


	16. Chapter 15: First Benefits

_**As promised, this chapter of Till my Last Breath was written on December 2nd and has been available on my since such. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you to those who support me.**_  
_**I swear I own nothing, not the place, time, or setting of this writing. What I DO own are means by which generous people can help and support a young man if they should choose. Available**_ _**here**_ _**and**_ _**here**__**, or my profile for those curious. The first is to my P A treon, and the second is to a fund, for commissions or if you think I could use a little something extra.**_

**Chapter 15: First Lesson Plan  
OR  
Making Mountains from Mole Hills**

If you weren't strong enough, get stronger. If you aren't fast enough, get faster. If you aren't smart enough, get wiser. These are things that people say or do all the time without really thinking about it, but it was much harder than it seemed. On the physical side, limits such as time, age, and monetary resources limits what most can reasonably achieve in a span of time, much less maintaining. With studying, people learn facts and subjects at different speeds depending on overall necessity, enjoyment, or even just how they are taught.

By taking these factors into account, along with the people themselves, one can determine the most effective way to guide said people to the greatest possible success.  
Izuku Midoriya knew most nothing about his students beyond the basics and a short stint of how they seemed to fight based on a not even five minute fight.

But even that time frame told him a lot, as well as give him some ideas that would work for both his new students and themselves. And, a week later, he was beginning to see those results.

The very basics had to be ground into these Adventurer's if any headway was to be made, and only three methods were shared amongst them all.

The first was the implementation of meal plans for the lot of them, which none of them had even heard about before this point. It wasn't tailor made for each of them compared to his own under All Might, but it was still a massive step in the right direction, with added proteins and calcium towards the boys who would be working to gain real muscle in the right areas, and the girls having a more carb balanced diet to help with both long-term stamina as well as seeing the effect of magic rate recovery. Something to do with the processing of nutrients as best Izuku could guess, until he was told otherwise.

The second shared strategy was the physical studying of local monsters, Classes and Skills, as well as possible uses or counters for such. This both helped create a combat mindset for them all, and allowed Izuku to get a better understanding of monsters a whole, and the thinking of an Adventurer towards them as a whole, as opposed to a Hero, even if they were inexperienced ones.

The last was more of a guess, but seemed to be having good results. Whenever one of his students was casting a Spell or trying out Skills, Izuku would use Spirit Drain in their area to either make sure no serious injuries came to anyone and to work as a sort of resistance training hopefully. It made sense to him, that if the body could learn to preform as is the norm under a limited setting, it would excel in standard ones.

And if it didn't it also kept expenses down. Which was another thing that had to be done. With things such as beds, food prep, and a small fee of 'rent', barely more than a single piece of equipment, his trainee's were at least required to take a Quest once every three days, assuming they wanted nothing else.

But even that was coming along nicely. Izuku had been getting more and more excited letters about how Megumin would bring in more than piles of ash claiming them to be fierce monsters, Vespa selling more herbs than usual, and even Andrew dazedly scrawling away at his novel while his body throbbed with each note. The letters got oddly specific at points, but it worked wonderfully as a little information system on when to pull back or go farther!

Chris and Sheer had also stroked up an unexpected friendship, with the Lumberjack and his Summon acting as distractions while the Thief snuck behind to shank anyone not bowled over with his swings. It was a promise many a monster, tree, or monstrous tree would fall to those two in time.

"We're Back, Bastard-Sensei!" Megumin chimed as she skipped into your office, reporting her 'rent' proudly.  
Izuku merely twitched at the name. Out of all the things to change that week though, the name had to be the worst. Why even that? Was he really that bad?

They obviously needed more training.

END OF CHAPTER  
_**An outliner chapter with a small time-skip, but hey! Next chapter, **__**the world moves on.**__**  
Until Then.**_


	17. Chapter 16: First Connection

You all know the drill by now.

_**The next installment to the Last Breath Series, written on December 8th and available!**_  
_**I swear I own nothing, not the place, time, any pictures I use outside of any I potentially commission, or the setting of this writing. What I DO own are means by which generous people can help and support a young man if they should choose. Available**_ _**here**_ _**and**_ _**here**__**, or my profile for those curious. The first is to my P A treon, and the second is to a fund, for commissions or if you think I could use a little something extra.**_  
**Chapter 16: First Connection  
OR  
Two of a Pair**

Izuku Midoriya had been in Axel for over a month now, and in that time, it was safe to say he had made a serious impression.

His Stats were one thing, and could have been quickly forgotten. The mass culling was unheard of in their part of the world, being so filled with fresh adventurers to feed off of normally while the stronger folk moved towards war zones and management positions, but they still were a known concept sometimes done by teams of skilled or revenge driven adventuring Parties.

But these were not things done in a single day, not by a single person and certainly not without at least mind altering or body ruining injuries. Then came the result of those bodies.  
A school. To teach people how to, at a minimum, be a better Adventurer run by a kid so young he probably wouldn't even have hair on his chest if he were still living. A complete change around from the standard lessons of Master and Apprentice, or even just the difficulties of life showing them the way.

But change or not, it was working. The five who went in there were average Adventurer's at there best, a middling thief, a tired Druid, a writer who couldn't stop picking fights he couldn't finish, a barely fluent log Jockey, and a witch filled with more hot air and explosions than most volcanoes. They thought it wouldn't last a week, between the differing personalities, the sheer amount of power being thrown around, and the matter's of perspective needed to be effective for even one, let alone five, such people.

Now though. Even in such a short amount of time, they had been changing. The happy go lucky Chris was getting to move lighter and lighter, and seemed to be moving Sheer into her friend circle slowly but surely, taking moments here and there to sound out words and commit gestures for him which he quickly copied. The Druid Vespa began to take missions again, taking to throwing seeds and trying to grow new plants from existing flora or as distractions. Simple changes, but meaningful ones.

The two most surprising however, were Megumin and Andrew.

While muffled booms and bangs still echoed over the town as they used too, no longer was there massive pillars of dust shooting up, or legions of monsters fleeing into unprotected areas for her to cull out of necessity. Instead, the girl was studying notebook upon notebook, held in little side pouches inside her cape, whenever she wasn't running around completing whatever mission she seemed to grab at random or stuffing her face with fried breads.

And with the writer, he too had taken to notebooks, if in a different sense. Where one was busy memorizing their contents, he was busy filling them. Bursting randomly into song now and then, stopping in the middle of eating to put quill to paper as quickly as possible, nonsense words escaping him now and again. It was almost enough to make her think he had somehow shifted his Class to Bard, but such a thought was quickly discouraged upon seeing the sword upon his waist unhindered, though now with a curiously black sheath.

All of them had grown at a pace she would have assumed to be years in the time it usually took most people to set up for a holiday. Such a thing was beyond a doubt incredible, but it still left the question of 'how' in the air.

Hmm. The Cabbage Migration would be coming soon. That could be an opportunity to see both the Students and Teacher in action with little cause for concern or stealth.

Yes, Wiz decided, it would be both an excellent opportunity for business and pleasure.

END OF CHAPTER

_**1 of 2.**_


	18. Chapter 17: First Preparation

_**Here's the next installment, written and ready on December 15th, for your viewing pleasure.  
I swear I own nothing, not the place, time, any pictures I use outside of any I potentially commission, or the setting of this writing. What I DO own are means by which generous people can help and support a young man if they should choose. Available**_ _**here**_ _**and**_ _**here**__**, or my profile for those curious. The first is to my P A treon, and the second is to a fund, for commissions or if you think I could use a little something extra.**_  
_**We be doing things now, Boys and Girls**_.

**Chapter 17: First Preparation  
OR  
No Kill Quite like Undead Over Kill**

The Cabbage Migration would be upon the Town of Axel in two days now, and Izuku was getting as much ready as he could.

When he first heard about the event, he had assumed a festival or something celebrating the vegetable would be coming to town. It would be stupid, but might have roots he didn't know of.

But no. It was crazier than anything he had ever heard of. The literal cabbages, along with stray lettuce apparently, would fly through the sky by the hundred to near thousand across the country for an ill-defined reason.

However, even that wasn't true. Over the course of his training, along with the ready working relationship he had established with the Guild through Luna, to say nothing of the sheer amount of money and capital he was generating with the wave of completed Quests and the mass selling of Health Potions by the crate. You could save a lot of money when you didn't really need to eat that often, the thought mostly just never occurring unless Izuku saw someone eating something and thinking 'Oh yeah, I should to.'

That wasn't the point however. The point was WHY the Cabbage traveled, and boy was it a doozie. The vegetables themselves didn't just move when they were ripe or ready to seek greener pastures with more nutrients. This was just what was passed around and the Guild backed up to ensure none looked deeper.

The truth of the matter was what harbored INSIDE the vegetables. Spirits. Thousands upon millions of Air and Earth Spirits, colliding and coalescing into every single inch of the plant, all with the intent of creating an easily disposable and movable container for them to use. The vegetables leaves merely provided it an acceptable facsimile of 'wings' while still protecting the root center where the bulk of power was stored.

Their destination? The gullet of a sleeping Earth Titan calling forth every spirit it could for a sacrifice large enough to reawaken it fully. This was the truth of the Cabbage Migration. A massive beast calling for food to literally fly into it's mouth, and the Guild had known about it for Centuries.

It wasn't all bad however. For all that the Migration had been happening for centuries, that actually worked to Humanities advantage. Towns had been built along their path both for the natural environmental advantages, and to serve as vanguards to figuratively and literally cull the herd. Adventurer's were paid top dollar for each Cabbage taken down, and while less for lettuce, still at least a bit of change. The fact that the same concentrated Experience they stored within themselves by the same people who took them down and devoured them first merely sweetened the deal, ensuring everyone would try their hand at catching the devious ingredient. Even in the worst case scenario, only around 40% of the total gathering had to be stopped, as the gathered amount would simply dissipate back into the environment unless delivered in a large enough burst, with the time it would take to make a new call being far past the cut-off call.

All this was explained to a shell-shocked Izuku, because he showed an interest beyond 'Why Cabbages?' and the fact that he opened up a school where such information could be important if anyone else cared enough to ask.

It was also the reason why said bone-boy was setting up as many contingencies as possible, wanting to take down as many as possible, even if Axel was just the first town of 12 for the Migration to hit.

Some were reasonable, and could be explained away, such as the Will O' Wisp torch lights along the halls and outside of the building, tied to a Crystal Ball in his 'office' that he kept going with a mana infusion every other day or so. Another was the installation of a Gate formed like rib bones that could swing open, double cross to form a cross pattern, and jump upward up to thirty three feet in return to becoming half as thick.

The more insane things was the skull shaped cannon on the top of the school that shot out a massive hand shaped hook to drain energy out of the surrounds and the carefully placed shoots of bones scatted every three to seven feet between one another all around the fields around Axel. The later two felt especially ridiculous because he forced his students to help with it, all of them doing so methodically with flat faces and eyes, except for Sheer's regular indifference to what he did when not chopping wood.  
Okay. The cannon might e overboard, but better to have it and not need it. And more than that, this could be a great time for a lesson!

"Megumin!" Izuku called out to the nearest student still in the school, the rest out on Quests or avoiding being shanghaied into preparation planning.  
The Witch in question startled back for a moment, nearly but not actually dropping the book he had given her a week and a half ago, which even just seeing brought a smile to his face.

Magic was influenced by how you felt about a spell, what you knew about a spell, where it comes from, and what kind of environment it would be going into. With Explosion, it could easily be said that the Girl knew every instance it had looked like, verbs used to describe it, and how to perform it. But she knew almost nothing of the others.

So Izuku wrote her a book based on how explosions physically worked, how they reacted or caused other stimulus to react, and different ways on how the same result could be achieved through multiple means, most of which gathered through the years of living and theorizing on just what and how Kacchan could be effective. While her goal was still solidly to create the Biggest and Strongest Explosion of all time, it would definitely be more accurate to say he was trying to have her make the most Effective Explosion, or a New Type of Explosion for any kind of situation. It was still his habit of thinking of Spells and Skills as Quirks, but the thinking seemed to be the same between them so far as he'd found. Nothing in this world was so simply two-dimensional if one looked at it.

But that was him just getting side tracked again, a habit that had been growing more he'd noticed since becoming a Lich. Still, Megumin had composed herself, book stored away and now stood posed in a half bow, cape fluttering in the breeze of her arms moving.

"Yes, Bastard-Sensei! What do you want your Star Pupil to do? Fetch you more bones of your enemies? Search the world over for legendary materials? Brand your wicked truths and tales into my fragile heart!?" She swooned, grabbing her chest and glaring with a half pout, even as Izuku sweat-dropped.

The only thing that hadn't changed was her exaggeration and frankly kind of chuuni way of speaking. To translate her words, she had asked if he needed more bone shards to string together or plant, if he needed her to go get some groceries or more health potions, or if it was time for another lesson. It...took some getting used too, with more than one freak-out at the beginning.

"N-no, none of those things Megumin. I just want you to gather the rest of the students for tonight. I...have a few last things to finish." Izuku finshed off a bit mysteriously. It wasn't his intent, but it had be a surprise!

And it seemed to do the trick better than intended, if the sparkly eye of Megumin said anything.

"Ooh! Of course! I shall bring my fellows in suffering as soon as they are able! Now, I shall away! Watch as I vanish like smoke around an impact crater!" Megumin called as she thrust to the ground a small black ball, creating a smoke screen and forcing Izuku to cover his eyes and cough for a minute.

"Cough! Cough! Ack, why did Chris give her those?" He choked after a minute of trying to breath, turning his head back upwards and seeing Megumin caught in the corner of the door, cape snagged on the doorknob while she froze in place like a statue as they both locked eyes. Calmly, and with a deft hand, she released her cape from her shoulders and continued to walk away, as if it had never happened. Izuku simply sighed as he went to to retrieve the cloak, before folding it neatly and putting it at the corner of his desk.

She'd be back for it later, and he DID have some work to do for now.

-TIME SKIP-

"You want us to what." Andrew spoke flatly.  
"DEBUT!" Izuku beamed back at them all, succeeding only at putting a massive smile on Megumin's face, and a hesitant one on Chris. The rest were equally unamused.

"Okay. I thought that was what you said. What does that MEAN, though." Andrew asked again, palms together as if to cut away the stupid.

Izuku took a moment to think about that before nodding. It was a fair question.

"As of this conversation, all of us are relative unknowns in the Town, much less he general country, and certainly so for the world. We all have individual quirks and stories, yes, but that isn't much. "

"You murdered the local Toad population to such an extent that they won't be a problem the Axel area for the next 15 years. In a day. Before making a school from their BONES."

"Like I said, local stories. But this isn't just about me. This is about ALL of you. " Izuku waved off before getting serious, surprising the others who now leaned in cautiously.

"You all are at this school to learn how to be Hero's. This is what I promised and what I have been doing. But being a Hero isn't just about strength. It's about being there when others need help. It's about being a figure a person can look to, and think 'With them here, I can be safe'."

"This, a chance to make your name known. Not as Adventurer's who go on lots of Quests or based on hobby's. But as strong people who drove themselves farther than those around him to reach those dreams." Izuku said. He neither raised his voice, shouted out to the heavens, but you could hear a pin drop with how intently they listened the same, disinterest long gone.

Chris was the one to break the silence. Hands on her knees white and shaking, but she looked forward with a fire in the eyes that made Izuku prouder than he'd ever felt before.  
"What...what do we need to do."

END OF CHAPTER

_**And 2 of 2. Wonderful work IdeaGuy.**_


	19. Chapter 18: First Party

_**And here comes the next installment. This chapter, along with Hero of Hard Work, are coming straight to you all as I finish them as my gift of the New Year to you all. AND, I am reworking how Pa-treon shall work with me. No longer will regular stories such as this be held back early for certain dates, as that hasn't really been helping me, but instead I shall be mocing back to my original goal, of supplementing my writing time, so I could actually 'afford' to make all of this wonderful content. **_

_**I also have just gotten my first Patron, so I'm riding a high like few other. Validation as a writer! Ahhh, yeah. Better and cheaper than crack. Still, disclaimer. **_

_**I own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor have I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write however, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__** here**__** and **__**here**__**, or my profile for those curious, are links to my P A treon, and the second is to a fund, for commissions or if you think I could use a little something extra.**_

_**Thank you all so much, and enjoy the carnage you shall bear witness to. **_

**Chapter 18: First Party **

**OR**

**It's Dangerous to Go Alone, So Don't**

The day had finally come. The Cabbages were upon the horizon, and would be within regular sight within the hour.

Adventurers large and small stood gathered for the coming battles, some cheerily brandishing rows of knives to throw, a few smarter groups huddling around nets to trap and stab as many as they could, but the students and teacher of UA were easily standing out.

To start with, gone was the lackadaisical or near missing armor sets most Adventurers ran around with depending on need, now each member looked ready for war.

Izuku, the Lich, had undergone the deepest wardrobe change, abandoning the simple white shirt and pants for a deep green robe, the typically flowing material held tight to his arms and legs by white bands of bones, as he maintained a look of concentration beside a giant skeletal hand. Beside him, anchoring the hand, was Sheer, where he was wearing nothing but thick pants filled with pockets and bandaliers of hatchets across his chest, a determined face of his own. Megumin, sitting comfortable and primly in its giant palm didn't help with matters either, looks having changed the least by now with glints of chain-mail flashing in the light here and there.

The last three were also up to weird things as well. Chris, now in a half-black half green one-piece looking suit covered with small studs, ran side by side with Ivy in her own restricted robes, dragging behind them what looked like giant paint brushes while Andrew yelled directions to them, holding a massive brush of his own and covering nearly his entire front white outfit with dripping ink.

Indeed, it looked like they had a plan, if one no one else could guess.

"Are you sure this'll work Bastard-Sensei?" Andrew asked wearily as he redipped his brush, carefully forming the smaller half-circle in front of his teacher.

"Not a bit. And please stop calling me that, it's mean...and gives people the wrong impression." Izuku took a moment to pout before his face went back to calm, concentrating in front of himself.

"Hmph! I for one enjoy the name! A suitable warning to those who think they can handle your tutelage! Imagine, even I, the mage who graduated top of her class in the Crimson Demon School of Magic fear you so! What a terrifying reputation it will be~" Megumin chimed in from above, nearly toppling over had a small arm not extended itself from a 'finger' to catch her.

She was returned to her position with a small huff, and a flick to the head.

"Again. No reputation of fear, no warning other people about how scary I am. I'm just teaching you how to be the most effective you can be. Nothing more yet." Izuku calmly interjected as he finally took his hands off of the arm, immediately gasping for air and half-collapsing to his knees.

The tired pants broke out into a small coughing fit, but within a minute or so he steadied himself, even as a slightly sweating Chris and all out-choking Ivy made their way before Izuku, carefully connecting their own lines to Andrew's half-circle.

"O-ho! Okay! We're done! A complete parallel line across the field pointing toward the Power-Pointer! Perfect!" Chris cheered with a small jump in place, doing interesting things that Izuku made sure to turn away from.

"Yaaay~" Ivy half heartedly cheered from her place face-first on the ground, but didn't complain as Izuku lifted her up and passed her a small juice.

"You both did a wonderful job. Everything should be set up now, so all we need to do is be ready...also, Power Pointer? Really?" Izuku asked with no small amount of incredulousness, making Chris, and though he couldn't see it Megumin, pout.

""You didn't like any of our other names!"" The two rang out together, making Izuku sweatdrop but concede the point.

In his defense though, some of those names included but were not limited to 'Death's Hand', 'Polite Greeter', 'Low Five', and 'Finger Gunner of Supreme Destruction'.

"Fine...I guess. Power Pointer it is. Until we think of something better." Izuku muttered off to the side as Chris gave a massive smile at this, running over to Sheer's side to poke and prod him various ways towards where Andrew was still scrawling, having finally removed his hands from the bone structure and Megumin demanded fruits to be thrown up at her by Ivy.

Izuku felt a new smile grow on his face at the sight. A 'battle' was upon them in a short amount of time and he felt incredibly proud of how far his students had come in such a short time. If he hadn't wanted to be a Hero, STILL, wanted to be a Hero, Izuku could have solidly agreed that being a teacher was something he would have aimed towards. But back home, and even here, there might not have needed a distinction between the two...

'Thoughts for another time.' Izuku shook his head for a moment, drawing himself back to the present, looking through the field now and finally taking note of everyone else gathered there.

Honestly...he could see and hear what they were planning, and still be disappointing. The closest thing he could see to teamwork was the use of nets, and even that was more so people nearby planning on taking advantage. There was no synergy to skills or people in groups, just single Adventurer's hoping to earn as big a chunk of EXP and money as they could for themselves.

Izuku would be making a few enemies today, but what it meant for the future and potential allies far outweighed the former. So, it was with a steady and determined smile as he watched the vegetables crest into view, sheer numbers moving shadow across the ground like a green cloud.

"Andrew! Ready!"

"ALL CONNECTED, SENSEI!"

"Ivy! Chris! Sheer! Ready!"

"All Set!" "Good to Go." "Hashon!"

"Megumin! Comfortable?"

"OOOH! I CAN'T WAIT!"

As one, wide smiles grew on their faces. An arm was dropped, and the plan was in action.

"START!" Izuku yelled.

"**Sacred Lines**!" Andrew roared into the air he completed the circle at his feet, making a massive line of energy fly through the ink lines previously drawn on the ground, encasing the battle field. Izuku felt his grin grow at the sight.

Sacred Lines, was a Writer's Skill used to anoint books and pages with lines to prevent obstructions or damage to the paper or material it was used on, most typically as literal lines for the user to write on. It did this by creating a barrier between the 'material' and the rest of everything else. The only thing that made it such a low-tier skill was that it only lasted while the Writer pay's attention to it, or until they are physically hurt.

But with a massive barrier sealing in all of the cabbages who entered the landscape, along with a separate private circle of protection around the user? It wouldn't be dissipating till everything was done.

"STUDENTS! FELLING GIANT!" Izuku ordered as he threw an arm out to the side, bit of bone flying up to clear away other Adventurer's as well as shoot down any cabbages attempting to fly over the barrier.

They wasted no time with words.

**"GROWTH!" "WOOD BREAK!" "POWER KICK!" **The three yelled out their Skill names, moving in tandem to achieve something Izuku was proud to call their own.

In an instant, three massive oak trees sprouted from the Earth from where Ivy had thrown her Acorns, specially treated with Herb Growth to grow as fast an large as possible before finally dying. In the next moment, Sheer was moving past each one, a hatchet in each hand felling them at the base with such speed that disks of wood shot off throughout the area, allowing more to form wherever they landed. And last, but certainly not least, came Chris, flying straight at the trees Sheer was finished with and sending them rocketing forth into the air with a Luck powered Kick, knocking the vegetables down by the dozen.

"COMBINATION TECHNIQUE!: **FALL ARRIVAL!**" They roared as the attack continued, the Adventurer's Izuku had been blocking finally stopping their attempts to break through and instead watching with awe.

Izuku nearly felt the same, but it wasn't time yet. He could feel the mana from the spirits within the veggies filling the air, tasting like fresh grass and ozone to his tongue, and decided it was time to drop the literal bomb.

"FALL BACK!" Izuku yelled as he pushed his fists together and placed them on the ground, concentrating with all he had now.

The mana from the Cabbages was explosive and heavy, feeling like it was filling the world around him. Izuku felt what mana touch him and enter through the hands and lungs. He focused on the sensation, willed it to his very bones.

Then...he directed it downward.

The mana of Earth and Wind did so with glee, returning to its home as its natural process was want to do. It did not stay there however. Upon meeting its new place, it was drawn into thin, bone white roots threaded all throughout the area, eagerly absorbing the new mana into itself, and directed it...towards the hand Megumin was standing in.

It's massive fingers grew taunt and began to glow with a mysterious shade of blue, leaving what looked like Will O' Wisps in the air around her.

Megumin did not care. She stared at the fallen woodland before her, felt the magic in the air, and, with a single nod from her teacher, broke into the biggest smile she had ever had, as she. began. To chant.

**"Crimson Devil who walks a Heroic Path" **

**"Create a Shine that None Shall Contain"**

**"Oh Force of Creation, Bend and Break Beneath My Words." **

**"Oh Calamitous Ruin, Rise up and Become Whole Once More"**

**"Gather Upon My Voice, And Scatter." **

**"Explosion Magic: Detonate." **

_**And the world ceased to be. **_

In a single instant, if not for the barrier and a hasty retreat by the others, it would have been death for the others. There was no fire. No sudden beam of light. Just a small, unassuming sound like rolling thunder in the distance as they all blinked, and _everything left in the barrier no longer existing_. Just a barren, ashy field, not a spot of green, cabbage or otherwise in sight.

Izuku, wide-eyed and jaw agape, turned back slowly to Megumin, who had her own jaw agape, before slowly, hesitantly, raising a V sign with one hand, and then falling forward to be barely caught by nearby Chris.

Well. You won?

END OF CHAPTER

_**This was fun to write. And I'm still so god-damn excited! Want to see what else I do if MORE people commit? Because I sure would. Cheers. **_


	20. Chapter 19: First Fallout

_**And here we are! A new chapter, new situations, all around our lovable bony beansprout.**_

_**I still own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor have I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write however, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__**here**__**, which is a link to my P A Treon. If you're looking for something not once a month though **__**here**__**, is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just incentive me.**_

_**Now let's all have a fantastic day. Cause not everyone is.**_

**Chapter 19: First Fallout**

**OR**

**Ashes, Ashes, Where'd the F**KING PRODUCE GO!**

No one really reacted much when the last layers of dust finally settled, the light of Sacred Lines fading from view as Andrew collapsed to the ground panting in exhaustion, followed closely by the snores of Megumin. All was quiet, either awestruck by the sheer power they had witnesses, dumbstruck by the raw prowess shown, or unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. All pretty synonymous reactions, but different to still count.

At least, Izuku certainly thought as much, feeling literally all of those things and more as he too stared at the field of destruction, not even hills anymore, a FIELD, that had been cut off, crushed, and then what amounted to vaporized. It was the plan, but...it worked a little TOO well.

The 'plan' as it were, was simple. Contain or Confine the Cabbages to a centralized area away from other adventurers, have Ivy and Sheer keep them locked in place while knocking down Cabbages to send the magic to the ground, where the Power Pointer, would harness it into a form for multi fire Explosions. Essentially turning the usual upload of Mana to be gained by eating the Cabbages straight into ready firepower. Short, simple, and easy enough to cancel or change in case one or more parts fell through.

To even call it much of a plan was stretching things really, given that every Adventurer present knew at what time the Cabbage would be arriving, along with strength levels, not even Animal level's of intelligence, and an inability to simply fly straight up when presented an obstacle. Izuku had just happened to make the most of these facts, which, at this point, he could officially state he over-planned for.

If Izuku could quote a now aged movie, 'Rats wouldn't have been trapped this easily. This is more like...Carrots. You're trapped like Carrots.'

And damn if that wasn't appropriate on several levels. If it were any other creature or even sentient ANYTHING, the trap probably wouldn't have worked. Sacred Lines, while strong, was and always would be a two dimensional barrier, stopping everything on either side of it, but precisely nothing under, above, or even over it. The only reason it was even able to reach as high as it did, was due to the sheer amount of Mana being pumped through the air and ground with each Cabbage taken down. It was this precise application against what amounted to walking Mana refills that kept Andrew from simply passing out foaming at the mouth from the sheer strain of a foot tall barrier over the battlefield. As it was now, he would still probably have to wait a while before even thinking of using magic, or Skills using Mana. On the plus side of it though, given how he'd survived the experience, Andrew'd also most likely get quite a good sized buff to his overall Mana pool, if use and training did in fact significantly effect stat gains like Izuku thought.

Still, that was just one part of the plan that could have gone wrong, and by Gods was he happy it didn't.

The power. The sheer, concentrated, evidently ready to erase whatever its facing power generated by the Power Pointer. It was the biggest worry Izuku had about the whole operation and damn if it wasn't for good reason. The Power Pointer was the most detailed and powerful thing Izuku had ever made. It was, in essence, just a giant hand big enough for a regular person to sit in, or a small girl to stand on. Underneath the ground however, it was thirteen feet down and fifty meters across of pure bone, acting as what was in effect a giant, Magical Lightning Rod. Or at least, that was the idea Izuku had for it.

Ever since discovering what a Lich was, it took less than three minutes to draw the lines of information into an actual pattern. Bones were the key to his magic, or at least, one of the main ones. Every Skill he had related to the Race was about taking in Mana through differences in the Bone Structure, this being the thick, deep fingernails on his hand taking in general free-floating Mana like a fish breathing water, to his Molars having thin holes in the back where if he breathed just right could feel Mana being chewed between breaths. Even his Chosen Skills, making Bones appear, harden, become more workable, find new sets of bones to add to his own, to MAKE his own with Spirit Balls, it connected and fit with the whole idea of 'surviving where others cannot'.

So, with all this in mind, Izuku decided to just make a giant version of his own arm. And it, kind of worked? The second Izuku took his hand off of it just became any other giant hand in a field, but when he was? It worked perfectly. But that was the problem. It worked TOO well. It sucked up EVERYTHING. If not for all of the Cabbages, every petal filled to the brim with Mana and apparently EXP from the centuries old Spirits piloting them, Izuku would be worried that every second he was using it would be drying the land out like a drain in a pool.

So this was NOT something that could be done again, if only because Izuku didn't want to know what a land with no Mana in the air or land at all would be like to live in. A shame, but it didn't stop it from being too inhibitive here.

"Wait a minute...WHO JUST GOT ALL THE XP!" A voice called out in the crowd, startling Izuku from his thoughts of what could have been, and doing a marvelous job of snapping the crowd from their collective shocks as well, making them all join in on the bandwagon of what, what, and the fuck happened.

This question made Izuku flinch as well, even as he backed away to his still panting students and rallied them to start fast walking back to the Guild Hall in town.

EVERYTHING, after all, meant EVERYTHING. No Mana in the air to supercharge spells anymore...no Cabbage filled to the brim to with Spirit's to give EXP. Unless people were catching them with their teeth, chances were no-one would be getting easy Levels from this.

Which...even then, Izuku was kind of glad for. Levels seemed like serious business, and to have them granted so easily because of one lucky piece of vegetable...rubbed his sensibilities the wrong way. Nothing against it or anything, it was them choosing to get stronger faster, it just...felt empty, compared to pushing your limits mind and body to breakthrough and become better than the day before.

These Adventurer's obviously didn't feel the same though, so if Izuku and his students started to book it just a little faster as threats of violence started to erupt behind them, then that was just good caution after a tiring fight.

-Scene Change-

Luna stared blankly at them all. Her fellow Guild Attendants stared blankly at them all. The old looking man, projected from a pure blue crystal ball arranged in the center of a table, stared blankly at them all as he overfilled the teacup he was holding, piping hot liquid having long since passed the porcelain edge.

"You fucking WHAT." The old man, was the first to break out of whatever state the others had landed in, with Luna having met the Lich and his students at the hall with good cheer and mugs of juice and mead before Izuku had stated that the Cabbage Migration was now erased. Then Luna tripped hard enough to land on her face, change it into a somersault and, having abandoned the drinks at this point, immediately ran into the back and grabbed said crystal ball and any other Guild member she could grab along the way, before forcing all of them to _sit the fuck down and explain themselves._

And now here they all were, tired, uncomfortable, and inside the barred from regular entry Guildhall explaining what happened to the third person in a row, each as old as the last.

"Like I've been saying. We stopped the Cabbage migration with a few barriers to hold it in place, and then used Explosion to destroy anything within the barriers. Simple, and effective." Izuku said again, even he starting to get annoyed and anxious, mostly due to the sheer repetition of it all, and the way Luna was wheezing off to the side corner now.

"No. No, no part of that was effective, or simple. HOW did you make a barrier large enough to hold multiple thousands of enemies. HOW did you use an Explosion Spell STRONG ENOUGH TO WIPE OUT THOUSANDS AND STILL LIVE." The old man snapped, throwing away his cup of tea off to the side, making someone scream off 'screen', making Izuku actually frown for a moment, both at the sudden yelling, and the violence on a person who truly didn't deserve that.

"The barrier was made by the Sacred Lines Skill, by my student, Andrew. The Explosion Spell was by another one of my students, Megumin of the Crimson Clan." Izuku tried to explain calmly.

"THAT MAKES EVEN LESS SENSE!" And was promptly disappointing when the old man screamed loud enough to blow Izuku's hair back somehow.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW INSANE THIS IS! THE FIRST STOP OF THE CABBAGE MIGRATION, ANNIHILATED! NOT EVEN BY A FRIENDLY LICH WHO HAPPENED TO LIVE BY, NO, BY HIS 'BEEN ADVENTURING FOR 2 MONTHS' STUDENTS DID! DO I LOOK STUPID TO DO! DO-!" The old man screamed and hollered at the shocked Lich before, up on the side, Luna pressed a part of the Crystal Ball, rendering the man mute, leaving only an old man screaming himself raw and making all kind of wild, and frankly lewd, gestures with his hands that nearly had Izuku laughing if not for the fact that he was being torn into for doing what he felt was right.

"Hmph. I'm sorry about Elder Heister, he's always been a bit of hard-ass about this area considering how much of it toes the line of Noble and Guild Properties, and how tight our budgets can get around this season because of all the new Adventurer's that start but don't earn much beyond what they need. With YOU though! Oh, hohoho, there's no issue at all! You, and your students, you're setting such good habits for people, and, and..." Luna tried to thank with tears welling in her eyes.

"BWWAAAAAHH! YOU'VE MADE US SOOO MU-MU-MUCH MOOONNNEEEYYYYYY!" Luna wailed as tears finally flowed like waterfalls from her eyes, bringing Izuku's head directly into her chest and doing a wonderful job of startling him more than a mob of blood thirsty Adventurer's.

Izuku flailed in panic and tried to reach out and spot one of his students ready to help him. Instead, all he was were malicious grins, hidden poorly behind raised mugs or capes before he was buried deeper.

TRAITORS! He had raised Traitors! HELP YOUR TEACHER~!

They didn't help at all even after Izuku went limp from a lack of air. He was a Lich after all, a little suffocation was nothing.

END OF CHAPTER

_**This was a fun one to write, and I hope you enjoy what I'm doing with this. Remember, I'm always open to powersets and characters you think could appear in this story. If you do, I'll be certain to credit you! Thanks, and have a wonderful night!**_


	21. Chapter 20: Second Fallout

_WHEN HELL HAS NO MORE ROOM, I SHALL WALK THE! *Sees a near month has passed* Hell. What the Hell. _

_Got DAMN, I'm sorry for the lack of anything in the last while. My computer, the wonder that it was, decided it wouldn't type more than a character for every three to five I clicked. What a joy, but that's barely an excuse. thus, I strike while the iron is hot! And hope you all can forgive me. _

___I still own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor have I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write however, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. _____Available here, which is a link to my P A Treon. If you're looking for something not once a month though here, is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just incentive me._______ _

_Now let's roll. _

Chapter 20: Second Fallout

OR

We Blew Em' Away, Figuratively and All Too Literally

With the immediate dispatch of Guild employee's to the site of the Cabbage Massacre, it took only two days for a verdict to be reached.

First, with some general rulings, the literal use of every possible piece of spirit in the vicinity of the blast zone appeared to the rendered the Cabbage itself to only issue the same amount of EXP a normal Cabbage would have for anyone else, which was to say 1 to 3 points for each head, a matter that was verified thanks to those few Adventurers jotting down their current numbers for the purpose of bets. A stupid and petty reason, but a useful one for comparative study. The only exception was one Barbarian who literally ate the Cabbage he caught before the Detonation happened.

Secondly, the same situation that drained the Spirits from the land didn't stop at just the new additions. Without outside help, the landscape outside of Axel would remain a bleak, barren wasteland, unable to grow or support even the smallest of life with its soil. Thus, it was flagged as a new emergency quest for Druid's and Shaman's across the country, in the hopes to repair the damage before it began to effect ecosystems close to the fallout zone.

And lastly? Izuku and his Ultimate Academy were to be awarded a full 30 million Eris for the complete eradication of the Cabbages, with another 90 being given to the local Guild Hall, where Luna refused to be budged from her place atop of the massive sack. And while it seemed like a massive amount of money to throw at a relatively unknown Adventurer, to say nothing of the school he had opened, with zero resources to help pay it back from the result, well... their first public interaction with the Guild Association was cleaning up the literal blast zone from one of said students. Some wanted to see what they could do with actual resources and connections at their side, most others were just pissing themselves scared and wanted to get on their good side early.

The truth wasn't always pretty, was it?

Izuku shook his head as he read through what felt like the millionth letter of the day, this one explaining about what an absolute honor it would be if his school changed locations to their town and the 'incentives' they would part with for doing so. It went in the Flattery/Bribe pile, beside the also growing Threats pile, Begging Mercy pile, and the shockingly low Enrollment Pile.

Izuku rubbed his eyes for a moment, feeling his headache grow even more when he spotted Sheer drop another two bags of mail into the corner of his office, adding to the 7 already there and leaving with a nod. Of all the reactions he could have expected, he would have thought Angry Adventurer's would have topped the list. But no, it was the sheer amount of attention they all suddenly had on them.

The Adventurer's already there skipped straight past fear and went right to awe, basking in the presence of his students when they went out and constantly toting those homegrown as 'The Pride of Axel', which was fine in itself, but it crossed the lines into annoyance when you went out to get food from the local market only to be lifted on someone's shoulders and carried away to the bar. The only ones who didn't seem to mind were Megumin and Chris. The former because of her already massive self-perception, while the latter Izuku could only presume came from some kind of Thief Skill to avoid notice.

Did Izuku also mention the attention already? Because it also had to be stated again. The money itself was incredibly useful, and nearly sent his mind spiraling again when he recovered from his...entrapment, by Luna, but it was the double edged sword in the worst of ways. With it, he was able to get actual beds and accessories like cabinets and mirrors for the rooms his students were using, along with future ones as well, but every purchase sent whispers amongst the populace, as if every item would be used for training or some secret technique.

What could mirrors possibly do to strengthen his current students! None of them could currently manipulate light! And NO, you do not haul beds around if you want to sleep in one! It was less the rumors themselves that were irritating but the sheer idiocy of some of the thought methods, as well as a general sense of worry of someone actually trying it themselves based off of a rumor.

Still, the list of basic amenities was at least accounted for with money to spare, leaving Izuku to wonder something.

What now?

The sheer amount of capital he had at the moment put him just a bit below the Noble Family ruling near Axel, but Izuku didn't really need armor or weapons given his propensity to bare handed or bone-based combat as of recently. The same went for his students, who, while running with their own expenses, still stayed solidly in the green with how Izuku was keeping them housed, fed, and combat-ready.

The only thing that really stuck out to him...was more teachers. But even then, the choice was hard.

Izuku had no formal training with Spears, Knives, Swords, weapons in general really, beyond what most video games showed and that the point was to put the pointed and/or edged bit into whatever you were fighting. But there was more to it than that, absolutely. And Izuku would be damned if he let his students down in such a basic area.

The problem, however, stemmed from his area. Axel, while holding one of the largest collections of Adventurer's the world over of near every Class and Rank, was still proudly the 'Town of Beginnings'. Or, as he'd read in one particularly pointed and taunt-filled letter, 'Mediocrity-Burg'. In a way, they were even right.

Axel was a town where three times as many Adventurer's as some other towns, for one specific reason. People, actually retired in Axel. They started families, taught their kids what they knew, and kept up the family business. They wanted what their own parents had, so they never really dreamed big, or tried their hardest to go out and make a name for themselves. It was a massive change from the average treatment of an Adventurer's live fast, hard, and usually dying young lifestyle, but it was absolutely a better outcome. All it cost...was their dreams for the future. Unless you were related to someone who knew how to use a weapon, or cast the right kind of magic, it was a pretty chance you'd learn anything outside of store-bought Magic books and the noted exception of the Thieves Guild, but they apparently didn't count because they moved town to town.

It made finding a teacher who didn't try to charge through the nose or simply shut the door when asked, but it wasn't an immediate issue, so Izuku would just grin and deal with it for the moment.

"My my, mayhaps I, could be of assistance?" A voice whispered in Izuku's ear, making him whirl around in an instant. As he saw the mask and the grin holding far too perfect teeth, Izuku followed his instincts.

"LIMIT BREAK!" Izuku shouted as his fist, filled to the literal breaking point with Mana barreled into the figures face, cracking the mask in half before the energy within the fist finally exploded, sending him rocking back and through the reinforced wall behind him, skipping across the ground like a rock on a lake even as Izuku rushed out after him, ignoring his broken hand with long-ease even as he forced bone back into place with new calcium to fill gaps from his Mana Pool.

Finally, after running to the final point of impact, and ignoring the panicked cries from his students behind him now seeing the sudden trail of violence, Izuku, Deku, focused on the man he had just punched. And for a man who just took a punch that ended robots and literal Muscle-men, he was looking remarkably intact. Deku tensed as he got closer, as the figure pushed himself into a crouching position, and, of all things, began to giggle.

"Hehehe! Oh, holy SHIT kid! Of everything, I was NOT expecting a show like that! You weren't even hesitating there, a little bit more, and Vanir might have been Va-Neverywhere! I would have literally exploded! Pfffttaaaahahahaha!" The figure, Vanir apparently, continued to laugh, one hand holding his stomach while the other covered his mouth, where laughter continued to escape.

Deku felt his eye twitch, and immediately killed the guilt he might have been feeling for hitting an innocent. The figure, in full suit and a half mask with no eye-holes, set up the figure as immediately suspicious. Plus, for that single moment his fist had connected...it hadn't been as painful as it should have been. Deku knew what breaking a bone felt like, and that was honestly closer to a dislocation or crack, which was part of the reason he had been able to deal with it so quickly, ignoring the rapid bruising.

"Who are you, why are you in my school, and why should I not be dragging you back to Axel?" Deku coldly asked, as he stood ready for any sudden action. He also took note of his students running towards them from the background, but didn't pay them much more attention while he had to focus.

Vanir finally got out of his little crater, standing with an air of nonchalance as he dusted off his suit and fixed his mask with a thumb streaking back his I bearing forehead to fix his ruffled hair somehow.

"Well I was mostly here for some fun and profit, as well as a deal I was a bit hesitant about before, but BOY did you beat that out of me. I, my good Lich, am Vanir! A humble merchant as of current days, I was looking to see what I might offer a school so successful as your own, and I'd avoid dragging me back for at least a few more minutes unless you'd like some VERY awkward questions to answer. And to answer something you haven't asked, cause I'm generous like that, I'm here to see if you have any interest in being a Demon General!" Vanir finished proudly.

Izuku, and his students within earshot of the crater, instantly froze.

""WHAT""

END OF CHAPTER

_ Never let it be said I play around. Or maybe you can, depends on how you see this._


	22. Chapter 21: First General

_**...No words. Only Action. And the words leading to them**_

_**I still own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor have I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write however, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__** here**__**, is a link to my P A Treon. And if you're looking for something not once a month try **__**here**__**, which is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just incentive me.**_

_**Time for Diplomancy.**_****

**Chapter 21: First General**

**OR**

**Excelling in All the (Wrong) Ways**

The clearing was dead silent, as Izuku steadily stared at Vanir, who casually was straightening his jacket and making a show of looking at the sky above them.

"What...do you mean, 'being a Demon General." Izuku's flat voice cut through the silence, as Vanir made another over the top shrug.

"Exactly as I said! We're always looking for applicants, and no-one ever put a LIMIT on how many of us there could be...so we don't have one! I, myself was a Demon General for many years, before retiring to become a humble merchant in this lovely town called Axel. Now I spend my days counting coins and watching little Adventurers wander out into the great wide outdoors and occasionally into some beasts maw. Though all that's really changed between then and now was the room I saw it all from, now that I think about it~" Vanir explained as he tapped his chin in a deep thinking pose, even as Izuku clenched his hands hard enough to draw blood from his palm.

"Don't you DARE talk about lives like they're only for your amusement. Now, answer my question. EXPLAIN." Izuku hissed out, lips curling just enough to unintentionally flash a now much sharper than normal incisor.

Vanir ceased his chin tapping for a moment, frozen in place, before slowly putting his arm down, crossing them behind his back at the waist.

"...You aren't being drawn into my pace. Huh. Every time I think I have a beat on your personality, you just double down. The longer I see you, the more confident I am in my little joke. Alright kid. Serious time." Vanir spoke, no laughing tilt to his voice.

With a swift motion, he brought his right hand up and, with a snap of his fingers, a full table with two chairs now graced the moonlit clearing.

Izuku took note of the noises of shock his students let out from their hidden spots behind the trees, but he paid them no real mind for the moment, too focused on trying to understand just how he did that with so simple a gesture.

"Sit. Then we talk for real."

So Izuku and Vanir sat, moonlight shining down on cold masks and eyes glowing with eldritch light.

"Tell me. What do YOU think a Demon General is?" Was the first question to come from Vanir, surprising Izuku for a moment, before actually thinking about it.

"With the context to it, I would assume the leader of a group of Demons or monsters under the order of the Demon King, though for what purpose would probably vary." Izuku said.

Vanir tilted his head to the side for a moment, before nodding his head once.

"You're close, but missing some context. Most Demon Generals are exactly that, leading large groups or packs of their brethren or lesser variants of their species. To use a local example, Beldia keeps a staff of Skeletons around his keep to serve and protect his collection of bath salts. But that's not the standard case at all. 'General', in this case, is just a commanding rank that marks a select few as the top of the top, strongest of the strongest Monsterous Species. It means that if we come into contact with other Monsterous groups or Classes, we can command them to follow our orders, assuming they aren't already following anothers." Vanir explained, before stopping as Izuku interjected.

"So you want to paint a target on my back, while simultaneously strengthening the Demon Kings position." Izuku spoke with no small amount of heat, even as he heard Andrew mumble a curse while scratching something into the small book he carried.

Vanir merely made eyebrows with his fingers, miming raising one up in confusion.

"Oh? What gave you that idea?"

"It's a simple strategy. You get to claim a strong Lich as part of your army, which would no doubt bring more attention to wherever I go. With my public alignment to someone like you, it would kill any hope of UA gaining any attention or thought within the first sentences. To say nothing about how those same would-be hero's reacting to a major 'threat' suddenly being in their town. It would be a honey-trap at best and instant destruction at the worst. Try again."

Vanir stared for a full minute, even as Izuku's students hesitantly moved closer, evidently trying to enter the clearing but hitting some kind of invisible wall, if Megumin's rapid swatting of the air was any indication.

Then Vanir chuckled again, lower and deeper than before, a dark amusement echoing in his voice.

"Oh-ho, you are a TREAT. Most don't even realize that's an option, so assured with themselves when they get presented the option for this 'promotion'. They usually don't last the week. Even if you weren't a Lich strong enough to manipulate so much cartilage and marrow as it took to build that wonderfully macabre school, I'd still probably be here asking you this same question. Anyone can be strong, but so few ever bother to be smart enough for it to matter." Vanir spoke with an odd echo to his voice, which simultaneously made Izuku want to squirm and smash the being in front of him like a melting snowman.

Before violence could be unleashed again however, Vanir raised a tea-cup he suddenly was holding in a toast.

"For such an insightful soul, I shall share with you a toast and truth. Be glad and rejoice."

"Sure. I'll be elated when I'm as far from you as possible." Izuku gritted out as he quickly darted his eyes off to the side, seeing a confirmation of a barrier with how his students were all beating against empty air, before he quickly drew his eyes back.

"That's the spirit. Then let's get a few things straight. We don't go out of our way to tell people when we get new Generals because, as I said, most don't last very long before retiring, getting replaces, or 'retiring permanently', quote unquote. The only ones who would actually care are those you tell, us fellow Generals, and our King. This was your truth. Now for your toast."

"Congratulations! You've now put more thought into the standings between Monster and Human Politics than the King has in 18 years! Good work." Vanir laughed before sipping his empty cup, making the sound himself before setting it down to disappear.

Izuku was trying to figure out what the FUCK that meant.

"What...do you mean, more thought than...WHAT does that even mean! HOW! I mean, all this time he's!" Izuku tried to articulate but responses came together in his mind fastet than words left his mouth.

More thought than 18 years...

Holed up in a castle surrounded by a barrier...

'Generals' travelling wherever and doing whatever they wanted or pleased.

"Holy shit, the Demon King's been dead for nearly two-decades." Izuku spoke outloud, astonished.

Then he heard Chris start loudly wheezing off to the side and saw Vanir do a spit-take off to the side with liquid he had definitely not had in his cup.

"What the Hells, NO, He isn't dead! He just doesn't give a shit." Vanir hurried to explain, back to wild energy as he flailed his arms in the air.

Now it was Izuku's turn to go flat.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Look, your probably thinking our Liege is some brilliant mastermind, planned a revolution for decades and gathered power quietly for the perfect time to strike or something, right? Well he didn't. Our King is the Luckiest, Friendliest Son of a Bitch to ever walk this land." Vanir decreed with a hand pointed to the heavens in triumph, even as the sounds of banging came to a slow stop and heavy stares were leveled at the masked man.

"He's conquered entire villages, nearly destroyed a country, and leads the largest number of world ending threats ever seen in the history of this world. Thousands upon millions have died." Izuku was quick to point out.

Vanir made a slapping motion with his off hand, as if to shoo away the logic.

"Bah, humans have been doing that since life started on this little mudball. You want an example of what I'm talking about? I'm a prime example. See, I'm a Demon, hence the whole title thing even if its former now, and I'm a Duke of Hell. And Hell's a BIG place. Thing is though? I wasn't always. When I was a lowly Imp, toiling in the Fire Pits, I suddenly get summoned to this world, which frankly should have been impossible since no-one there knew my Name and I was NOT famous enough to even be a whisper in some fucks ear." Vanir explained with growing cheer, like he was remembering a fond memory.

"Then I met this dumbass human who summoned me by accidentally making a blood circle with my name and location cause he was doodling while getting a head wound healed. I tried to eat his soul, he kicked the ever-loving shit out of me, and then declared I was his 'Super Bloody Demon Buddy For Life', and well, a few years later and here I stand. The world is more a peace now than it ever was before our Liege came about. Sure, if you were Human or looked close enough you were okay, but us Monsters? Well...the label tells you a lot." Vanir chuckled sadly at that, for the first time in this conversation sounding wistful.

Izuku just wanted this trainride of emotion to be over.

"That...that makes too much sense. I don't like it, but when you actually think about from your point of view...wait. W-were those Toads I killed sentient?" Izuku suddenly asked, horrified and barely able to stop the bile rising from his gullet.

"Oh, Gods no. Think closer to big, slimy jungle cats. Most giant animals are exactly that, with like, two or three exceptions to the rule with deep sea creatures for whatever reason. They try to eat you first and you can feel free to eat them back." Vanir quickly concluded, as if he had explained this before.

Izuku took another deep breath, and another again before he was centered again, glad he wasn't living in a building made from thinking minds.

"O-okay. That's...good? I guess. Still. While the story is interesting, and the information about the Demon King is really useful...I'm still not seeing a reason to join you." Izuku admitted after a moment.

And it was the truth. So far, everything shared, while it changed his plans significantly, didn't really provide any incentive for it.

"Really? A fancy title and the ability to order people around doesn't appeal to you?"

"I opened a school. I don't get paid to do that already. Plus I still don't know how Megumin keeps chiseling different names into my desk plaque."

"Ah. Crimson Demon?"

"Yep. I guess you're familiar?"

"Damn right I am, our King parked his castle beside their village cause he loves the atmosphere and random magical discharges just out of view. Nearly married one too, 'fore he met his wife."

"Wait, there's a Demon Queen too?"

"No. Anyway, yeah, at this point, guess there isn't much reason to be a Demon General for you, is there~? Huh. Sorry, usually this conversation goes completely different. Hmm. Well, it's on the table now, so if you ever feel like joining up, or bumping one of us off, let us know, kay?" Vanir shrugged as he got up, chair disappearing with the movement and forcing Izuku to do the same lest he wind up on his ass.

"Wait, that's it! Just...show up in the middle of the night, ask me to join the Demon King, tell me what amounts to your life story, then shrug and leave?! WHO DOES THAT!" Izuku shouted as he gripped his hair, trying to see some kind of ploy or trap in this.

"Well when you put it like that it's sound crazy. But, then, I never said I was sane either, did I? Huhuhu~, well, that's all for me then tonight ya fighty little bones-boy. If you want to talk again, ask about me at the Merchant's Guild, or talk to Wiz. Bai-bai~" Vanir finished with a cutesy wave, vanishing from the feet up in a breeze of mist that quickly dissipated, along with a sound akin to breaking glass as the barrier keeping his students out suddenly vanished.

Izuku stared at the spot Vanir had been standing in, before staring back to a hyperventilating Chris, starry eyed Megumin, and Wide eyed Ivy and Andrew. Sheer was passed out, apparently from trying to headbutt the barrier open if the growing bump on him was any indication.

"I need...to do some thinking."

END OF CHAPTER

_**EXPOSITION! EXPOSITION! HELLSPOSITION! No fighto-fighto this chapter, but more soon.**_

_**I still have a lot planned for this wild ride. AND, due to a certain IdeasGuy for his WONDERFUL sidestory anthology, KILL THE HERO...**_

_**The First Story Flag Has Been Raised. This...will be fun.**_


	23. Chapter 22: Final Choice

_**I promised a new chapter, so a new chapter comes. I know it's gonna change quite a bit of plans people have, and I can't wait to see how you all react to it. This has been in my back-pocket for a year-on now, so this'll be FUN.**_

_**I still own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor have I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write however, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__** here**__**, is a link to my P A Treon. And if you're looking for something not once a month try **__**here**__**, which is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just incentive me.**_****

**Chapter 22: Final Choice**

**OR**

**You Raise a Good Point. Allow Me To Retort. *Raises Fist***

Thoughts ran through Izuku's head long after the moon gave way to the sun, and he barely was aware enough to thank Andrew when he dropped off a small jug of juice.

He barely tasted the drink, but he still drank it as it gave his hands something to fill and fiddle with as his mind raced.

The sheer fact that apparently multiple Demon Generals lived and functioned around Axel was a surprise Izuku hadn't been expected, having spotted none of the signs he would have expected from having such high-level threats so close-by. There was also the entire interaction between 'Vanir' and himself.

That had been his first use of the 'Lim(b)it Break' Skill, and it was both more and less than he was expecting. Rather than the wild Smashes he would create from overcharging One For All down a limb, Limit Break seemed to charge about double what the limb would usually be able to stand, before letting loose the gathered energy as the attack. The pain caused was simply the energy leaving the body. Maybe it would differ if more was charged, but for the amount of charge-up time and impact, it was still good for the moment.  
Though it DID lead to a question of how long the energy could be held and what effects that would hold. A test for later.

The second major thing to take away was Vanir's casual creation of objects and barriers. That was a massive advantage no matter how Izuku looked at it. Even if it had some strange limit like only creating furniture or household goods, a chair to the face or an ottoman to trip on out of nowhere would be devastating in a fight. Same with trying to run somewhere only to seemingly bounce off air. Both were things far to easy to see abused, and set a terrible standard.

Was Vanir a 'Strong' General, or a 'Weak' one? If he was the former, it gave Izuku insight into the heights he had to aim for as a minimum. If he was the latter...

"Limits exist to be broken..." Izuku muttered as he poured another glass of orange juice, staring out from his room as Andrew was being forced to do crunches under threat of having his notebook burned by Megumin. He'd stop that later, if she went too far.

Even without the fight however now, it also revealed a rather startling insight to Izuku. Vanir talked about Demon General's claiming territory and monster groups as their own, implying both that there were Monsters NOT associated with the Demon King, and that there was a distinction Monsters, and Monster 'Classes'.

It made Izuku's teeth itch, the knowledge feeling just out of reach and ready to be understood, but anything more required finding Vanir or his friend, 'Wiz', on their own home turf, something Izuku vehemently disagreed to. Not as he was now.

Not when his students were still to new to defend themselves from that kind of power...

Okay, that was a touch unfair, Izuku decided. But frankly, it was the only excuse he could reasonably give for being afraid of a being who took a punch at about half the power it took to send a Zero-Pointer flying directly to the face and keep talking.

Axel was becoming more dangerous with each revelation of what was living there and was giving less and less reason to stay, no other people stepping forward to join the school since the Cabbage Culling, somehow either still skeptical or scared of the effort they would have to put in.

Izuku then stared at the school he had built. It was an imitation of UA, it didn't hold a generation of Hero's passing on their experience to the next generation, it just had a half-trained kid blindly leading more forward; But...it was STILL UA Academy. Still a place for Hero's to flourish and go out into the world to make it a better place. It was built on the idea of hard-work, determination, blood, sweat, and broken bones as limits were surpassed and forgotten.

"One more step. One more breath. Move past what's stopping you. Leave it behind and walk towards Greatness." The words came from Izuku's mouth with no real meaning. But they still sparked an idea.

With a quick reach into his desk, Izuku took out his Adventurer card and bought Spirit Orb, felt the knowledge fill his mind, and the former idea became much more solid.

It was time to move past what was Stopping UA Academy.

**-Scene Change-**

Izuku's students had been shocked, confused, and bursting with excitement when Izuku had told them his plan. But they still decided to go with him.

It made his heart feel a bit warmer knowing how much this would change for them, and vowed to repay them by bringing them all to heights never seen before.

Still, this was going to take some concentration...

"Haaahhh~. **Spirit Ball: Travel.**" With both hands solidly in front of him, Izuku commanded the spirits residing in the bones around him into a tight sphere.

A small lesson on Spirit and 'Soul' Magic should be explained. There exist two Classes within this world of Wonderful that can manipulate such Magics with ease. 'Liches', and 'Shamen'. A Lich is a tightly controlled soul that fears Death above all else, or can otherwise ignore it in favor of a more pressing matter. These figures gain the ability to 'live on' by placing their soul in containers stronger than their original body, and function not by bodily function but by manipulating Mana held within Flesh, Blood, and most importantly, Bone. The opposite side of this spectrum is the 'Shaman' Class, someone who is born with a Soul larger than their Body can contain. This results in them gaining the ability to mix 'themselves' with the Spirits around them, both of Nature and former People or Animals.

Spirit Ball, as such, is a Shaman Skill that allows these free-floating Spirits to be condensed so as to better 'mix' with.

This is not what Izuku was doing. Instead, it could be said he was 'gifting' the new Spirit in his hand the idea to 'Travel', hence the command.

With another deep breath, eyes closed in concentration, Izuku then, carefully, precisely, slammed the Spirit Ball directly into the floor beneath the front entrance. And as he whipped his eyes open, checking for any residual wisps in the air, finding none, he gave the largest grin yet since coming to this new world.

"OKAY! I'M STARTING NOW!" Izuku yelled down the foyer, receiving back barely muffled yells from his students in their own rooms through his Will O' Wisps, before going down to his desk and literally sinking his hands into the bone surface.

He sat there for a minute, gathering power and, looking back towards the walls protecting Axel, pushed it all forward even as his magic raced through the connected buildings to create what Izuku wanted.

"HHHNNRG!" Izuku gritted his teeth loudly as the view outside his window suddenly shifted, the four towers surrounding the main building shifting into a row before splitting in half, forming a row of 8 boxes connected by literal spinal cord connections atop massive wheels. The front of the school was not spared these changes, as the door extended forward and the UA letters shifted to the side of the building. When the shifts were finished, where once was UA Academy now existed a stark-white train with a Grinning Skull front and one massive 'eye' lit green by eldritch fire.

"SKKKRREEAAAHHH!" Screeched the train as a green gout of fire wearing a jaunty conductors hat exited the smokestack at the top.

"UA HIGH: **TRAIN MODE!" **Izuku panted before collapsing in his chair, feeling like he had run a marathon but not about to pass out.

If Axel wouldn't give them the people to train or help improve his students, then they'll find their own.

**-Scene Change-**

Wiz, from her position on top of the wall with her welcome to Lichhood gift-basket, watched the hell train literally scream across the field as it put down and picked up bone-hardened rails away into the distance.

"What the FUCK did I just watch?"

END OF CHAPTER

_**Let's boldly go where none have gone before, eh?**_

_**THAT'S RIGHT BITCHES, THIS BE MY SANDBOX NOW! YOU EVEN ALREADY GOT ON THE CRAZY TRAIN! HA~HAHAHAHA!**_

_**Ah, seriously though, the real shit starts here. Sorry Ideasguy, ya hit the travel Flag. Hope you enjoy writing a reverse Part 3 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure!**_


	24. Chapter 23: First Teacher

_**So...I'm still alive and healthy?**_

_**Honestly, I have no excuse for my lack of writing this past bit, I've been home the last 10 days cause work shut down and I'm really great at stocking up before panics, but its just been hard to get into the kind of writing I enjoy with all the stuff happening recently. Still, I have the time, and I want to fill this point of time with great works that help those who struggle with all this right now. So let's get to it.**_

_**I still own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor have I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write however, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__** here**__**, is a link to my P A Treon. And if you're looking for something not once a month try **__**here**__**, which is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just some incentive for me.**_

_**No distractions, do more waiting. Now, is the time to create.**_****

**Chapter 23: First Teacher**

**OR**

**That's One Way to Get A Raise**

There was a VERY pretty lady in Izuku's bed. She was also in business formal.

Naturally, Izuku screamed loud enough to rattle the walls of his room. Well, it was either the scream or the chains shooting out from the walls to grab the intruder, who gave their own startled squawk as they connected and rattled back into the wall.

The image was thus frankly ridiculous when his students burst into the room, trying to see what had caused the scream, only to see a woman chained to the wall pouting angrily and their Sensei shaking and stammering as he held his bedsheet to his bare chest. It had Megumin trying to hold back chuckles behind her hand, and everyone else either facepalming or letting loose the tense stances they'd adopted from expecting a fight.

"W-W-W-W-HHYYYYYY were you in my bed!" Izuku half shrieked as scrambled to cover himself, wondering with no small amount of trepidation who had stripped him.

The chained girl, or rather, woman, pouted harder before answering in a breathy voice that made Izuku VERY happy he had a blanket to cover himself with.

"MHmmm, I tried to wake you up, but I couldn't get through that thick skull of yours! So, since I had nothing better to do, I joined you!" She exclaimed as if it was obvious, trying to cross her arms for a moment before stopping as they were literally stopped, succeeding only in doing a sort of half-pullup that did...interesting things.

"Wha? Buh da ba. Haroo?" Izuku stuttered as his eyes rolled in their sockets at the realization he was sharing a bed half-naked with a girl. He was also promptly dope slapped back to reality by Chris, who was now by his side with a furious blush of her own.

"He means why were you in his room to begin with! Who even are you! And WHY IS HE NAKED!" Chris demanded, before bristling and shouting the last bit, as if that was the biggest offence.

The woman just rose an eyebrow and continued to look confused.

"I'm Mari, I was in his room because I wanted to talk to the principle of this school, and the poor boy looked like he was sweating through his tunic, so I took it off him lest he ruin the material. Really, that's that proper sleepwear is for, you know?" Mari explained before ending with a lightly admonishing tone to her voice as Izuku curled up a little further to hide his face.

"Well that answered everything and nothing. Thanks, we've been getting a lot of that lately. Let's try this again. WHY, should we not be throwing you off this trine ""-train.""-train, right, sorry, within the next few minutes." Andrew sighed heavily as he lifted his hand from his face, his other already resting on his oversized brush-hilt.

For the first time this meeting, 'Mari' showed something other than oblivious confusion, if the small gulp and sweat trail down her neck meant anything.

"Ahhhhh, that's ah, sure a sharp turn of consequence there. Okay, so, uhhh. Ummm...I'm here...to...apply as a teacher?" Mari slowly said, pauses breaking up the sentence as she struggled for something to say.

Can't exactly tell the students of the guy you were hired to drain to a lifeless husk the truth after all. Wasn't her fault the kid couldn't have just been normal and let her dive into his dreams, no, he had to have some weird Skill or something, so she had to try and drain him the old fashion way, with skin contact. Then these guys, and girls cause when is life easy, and boy is death suddenly a possibility. Mari felt and could see how fast this 'train' was moving, and wings like hers tended not to help much in an emergency escape with the sudden case of bondage she'd also somehow acquired. She should have charged more for this. Maybe she could bullshit her way through?

That brought everyone to a halt, even breaking Izuku back above the covers, letting the blanket fall even as he rubbed his now sore cheek.

"Are...are you serious?" Izuku voiced what everyone was thinking.

Mari, sensing a way to avoid a horrific death, decided to double down.

"Yep! A teacher! To teach things! And nothing else." She exclaimed with several sharp, quick nods, and a tight smile she hoped conveyed excitement and not the extreme cursing she was doing in the back of her mind.

Megumin stared at Mari for a moment, getting right up into her face as if inspecting a piece of art.

"Hmm, suitably ominous words, a sharp dress sense, and you tried to usurp our wonderfully brutal sensei on the first day...Yep! That's a teacher all right!" Megumin, only used to the twisted standard of the Crimson Academy, declared after a bit of thought, shooting a thumbs up to her fellow students. She didn't really understand why Chris started bashing her head against the wall, but she had seen an odd Crusader doing the same before, so maybe it was some kind of odd Eris follower tradition.

Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose at this sudden curveball, but the small pain did help him move past the embarrassment he had been previously feeling.

It wasn't a regular interview, but if someone was willing to help them, and seemed at least relatively harmless, he'd give them a chance. What they did with said chance, he'd need to see.

"Right. Sure. Of course you are. Alright, what do you want to teach?" Izuku casually asked, making Mari freeze again, and start to sweat even more.

She darted her eyes amongst the crowd of people, saw no great number of specific type or Caste of Classes, and promptly cursed again in her head.

_'C'mon, think! Think! Sex Ed? NO, TOO RISKY! History? I DON'T KNOW HISTORY! Cha-!'_ Mari frantically ran through and summarily discarded options before stopping flat, allowing a prideful grin to make its way to her face.

"Why, some Magic courses." Mari giggled with a small flash of her hair. It would have been more impressive if she wasn't held against a wall, but it still caught the interest of the gathered people.

"Oh? You're a Magic teacher then? Tell me about that." Izuku asked again, shame and embarrassment completely forgotten, now leaning forward and locking his hands in front of his face, elbows resting on his knees. It also made for a wonderful show of muscle, but Mari was a bit too afraid of an imminent demise to appreciate that.

"W-well! A Magic teacher is absolutely essential to any true Adventurer's School! Why knowing how much mana a spell takes and ways to reduce it is are often matters of life and death!" Mari bullshited slightly. While determining mana rates for Spells was important, it was generally meaningless in regards to lower-level or common use magics, like knowing how to use slightly more or less water for certain plants.

"Hmm. I see." Izuku hummed in thought, thinking of his own experiences with modulating power, and how even just a change in what he viewed his power was had such a massive effect. It did make logical sense to have someone capable of such around at all times. And really, hadn't that been exactly what he'd had Megumin focusing on this entire time? Understanding just what an 'Explosion' was and could be? This could simply be the other side of the equation working to the same final product...

"A-and! And, with a good teacher, it can even be possible to help students learn Skills or Spells they would usually have to spend Skill Points on!" Mari continued to babble, though she snapped her mouth closed as Izuku instantly centered eyes on her, and hoo boy could she understand why he had a hit on him. She felt like she was being torn apart and inspected under that gaze...

_'Learn Skills or Spells they would usually have to spend Skill Points on...'_ Izuku latched onto, feeling a grin work its way to his face even as information connected in his mind.

Izuku was right. A land filled with Blessings this may be, but the basics still held to truth. If you knew the function behind how something worked, how and what it did, and knew how to shape the Mana or muscles, or anything else, what was the difference between what you learned and what the Adventurer's Card 'learned'? If the Card's original function was to show you what the person COULD learn as they progressed, it would make more sense. Like a Skill Tree...then the God's probably made shortcuts. Ways for people to become credible threats to the Demon King or whatever enemy they originally did it for quickly without years of trial and error.

The grin he had however, slipped into a small grimace even as he got up from the bed, ignoring the shocked exclamations around him as he stared at Mari.

It was ingenious, it was gamechanging, explained so much...and was the worst thing Izuku had ever heard of. The Skill Cards were wonderful things, allowing Izuku, and doubtlessly countless others to do amazing things they never could have dreamed of doing in any other circumstances...but it didn't change the problems it started. Levels, for all they let people break their limits, shackled so many more. How many people never made it past some bygone number, before stopping as they knew they'd never be the strongest. Why try for unique, powerful attacks when brute force or bought Skills got the job done, until it didn't?

None of that had been specifically said to Izuku, but he could read between the lines. Really, it was barely a better situation than it was in his old world. No-one in this, or apparently any other world, was created equal.

But it never said anywhere people couldn't become more or less, either.

"Ms. Mari. No, Mari-Sensei. I will hire you for my Ultimate Academia as its first Magic Teacher. It will be hard work, and I don't fully trust you yet, but I'm willing to give you a shot. You got into my school, let's see what you do while you're here. So, want to see what kind of change we'll make?" Izuku spoke confidently, gripping a hand tight momentarily as the chains which had held her to the wall blended back into regular paneling, leaving the woman to rub her wrists and stare up at him.

"Uhh, sure? Thank you, but, ah, you might want to put on some pant?" Mari hesitantly spoke as she shyly pointed downward, drawing Izuku from his little introspective monologue-fugue as he looked down and realized, yes, he wasn't wearing pants, or anything else.

With an ungainly cry, Izuku dove back to his covers fast enough to leave imprints of his feet in the floor, and only once he was covered up in a cocoon revealing only his eyes did he dare look at his students.

Andrew looked exasperated, Ivy was bemused, Megumin had been enjoying the view and was now whining about the loss of it, and Chris was flushed completely red down to her neck, hands covering her face with painfully noticeable gaps to look through, and seemingly babbling about nothing under her breath.

Yep. Okay, Izuku was ready to die again.

**END OF CHAPTER**

_**Woo, yeah, this was completely different at one point, but I like this. Do you all like this? Let me know! Also, next up...**_

_**BREAKTHROUGH!: The Village of Latis! Beware, a sudden chill!**_


	25. Chapter 24: First 'Train'-ing Session

_Guess what's back ya'll? I saw some confusion over on Fanfiction over the last chapter, but let me clear that up. Because of a delightful writer called TheIdeaGuy, a wonderful campeign to kill Izuku has come underway! With his, and eventually others hopefully, permissions, I'll be posting them over on Fanfic so everyone can enjoy! Now, let's dip into semi-original content, neh?_

_The following is a fanbased parody, K-Whoops, wrong disclaimer! I___ own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor do I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available here, is a link to my P A Treon. And if you're looking for something not once a month try here, which is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just some incentive for me. If these links aren't available, check my profiles! Any of em!__

_The Train stops rolling now!_

It was a beautiful day. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and a train looking fresh out of Hell barreled across the countryside, a flame merrily burning from its smokestack and wearing the largest of grins.

Inside said train was a scene most wouldn't expect either, but for different reasons.

Izuku stood, panting in the center car, now shaped into a wider training room, and was patiently waiting for Mari-Sensei to stop staring and start help get Sheer from the wall he was currently smashed through. The fact that she did so without simply breaking the wall around him in a bigger explosion was already a marked improvement in the name of magical extractions.

Since she had joined U.A two days ago, things had been...not tense, but slightly awkward. His students still listened to him first, and seemed to not know how to really treat Mari-Sensei, with the exception of Megumin, who approached her with her regular devil-may-care personality regarding ways to improve her Explosion...which were apparently few.

For all that Megumin claimed regularly to be a genius, it wasn't really something the others had considered until she started talking with their new Magic teacher, starting a conversation Izuku deeply wished he had been able to record, but would have to settle with the written notes for now. Unfortunately, alongside the stream of information being shared back and forth, most of it went over his other students heads, so it was a mixed bag.

So, until a baseline was established to make sure everyone understood the terms used, and general ways to improve their Mana pools, Mari-Sensei was relegated to potion distributor/ training assistant, to allow her to judge how each student needed to practice what.

On the bright sides, it let Izuku go all out for practice now, both due to his student's rising skill levels, but also due to not needing to leave one standing enough to help the others. The downside was his students sudden intensifying of curses and that Mari-Sensei kept getting caught in the splashzone when one of Chris' knives tore through his arms before deflecting off the bones inside, or when his students coughed up their own from their suddenly uncrushed lungs.

What he was doing was completely overwhelming, brutal beyond sensible standard, and would have him jailed for child abuse if he tried to do even a fraction of it in his old world. But he had to. Because this wasn't his old world.

While both had serious problems, had people risking life and limb to save lives against foes in the bright of day and dark of night, but there were still stark differences.

Heroes were there to help the people, a populous who looked up to them and were ready to join the fight themselves, even while Villains came and went. Here, it was the opposite. A select few truly fought against the everpresent darkness headed by an overwhelming Devil King who has gotten to the point of literally requiring divine intervention to overcome. There wasn't the time that others had, no Symbol of Peace to guide the way and hold the line while the next generation comes to succession.

Izuku would break bones, vomit blood, and suffer anything else he had to if it meant people could live with smiles on their faces. And if his students had to suffer some of the same he did during training, so they didn't get worse later, while being able to be healed immediately after?

Then he'd beat the weakness out of them, while refining himself into something worth calling a Hero.

Izuku let his muscles relax again, shaking away the train of thought as his adrenaline began to die down, leaving only the stinging itch of the cuts along his arms and back. Part of the blase reaction was from his own experiences with even more excruciating pain ruining the scale, but the majority of his issues stemmed from the his current Lichdom. Which in itself was a very interesting discovery.

The day following Mari-Sensei's... hiring, Izuku decided to get some questions answered from his now readily available Magic specialist. The answers themselves...were interesting.

As a Lich, Izuku was an existence that defied Capital-D Death while side-stepping True Life. What that actually meant, neither really knew, but it's side-effects were much more well known. Liches, did not need the standard tenets of life to exist. They didn't need to eat, breath, or even really sleep, though the later was recommended just as a way to destress the mind and stave off long-term insanity. The only thing a Lich really 'needed' to live was Mana, and that reason was threefold.

With Mana in the air, or whatever said Lich fought, it allowed them to continue or fortify their technically fragile existence. Every skin cell was energized, bones become thickened, and the soul inhabiting its container can increase itself in any number of ways. That wasn't, however, to say that there were only upsides to being a Lich.

To start with, you have to have died. Or at least, come close enough to it that the difference was minimal, which is generally a tricky thing to do regardless. Once you actually become a Lich however, things get...tricky. The body moves, and thinks, but isn't alive, which is just as big a change as you could expect. Spells that target the mind or body either fail to work, or misfire due to lacking properties, both good and bad, potions had a terrible chance of working as the stomach barely dissolved anything and blood barely flowed. Weather of extreme cold or heat had a much greater effect than a normal person, as well as take longer to 'heal' the damage.

It was all incredibly informative, and made logical sense when Izuku thought about it, making him grimace at the miss. A habit of analysis regardless, it was still possible to miss details, especially when it was about yourself. Speaking of self though...

The most important aspect about Lichdom...was personality. With so few blockades between the Soul and reality, Liches...felt MORE. Which wasn't a bad thing, but it made it especially important for a Lich to be around people to keep them in check. Laughter was sweeter, Love was everlasting, and Joy was contagious...but Anger was apocalyptic, Grief maddening, and Sadness was soul-crushing. Far more often did Liches succumb to emotion more than actual enemies.

To say it shocked Izuku was an understatement, but...it made sense. He was always a passionate person, willing to go above and beyond for his ideals and dreams no matter the cost, but since he came to this new world? Starting a school, teaching people how to be 'heroes'? It still sent waves of panic through his system, but not in the same way it used to. Izuku had changed...

And he wasn't sure if he could truly go down that rabbit hole. Not yet.

"Oi! Sensei! We're nearing a town, it looks like! Well, either that or a really elaborate trap!" Izuku heard Andrew yell, remarkably clearly for someone who'd had their jaw dislocated in three places not 20 minutes ago, snapping him out of thought, the already shallow cuts having now sealed closed and the blood being wiped off with a piece of torn fabric.

Well, that sounded like a good distraction.

END OF CHAPTER

_Sorry for the lack of real action right now, I mostly wanted to make a scene happen while travel actually took place, but...nothing really felt or flowed right. It was originally going to be a scene of Mari-Sensei observing a good ol fashion Izu-beatdown, but that wouldn't have really accomplished what I wanted. Then I considered taking a page from Fate/Stay fanfiction and loading up a chapter of Quasi-babble before breaking it down into usable info for a gag, but that just seemed cruel and kind of stupid, so it was just alluded to._

_Instead, we get a lesson on 'What Makes A Lich', with the pleasent sound of fists breaking faces and the frantic handling of bottles in the background. Not the most satisfying, but it does its job of getting exposition out of the way, getting us to Latis, and us into what I affectionately call, 'The Weather Arc'_

_Enjoy, and make sure to comment! And, as always, omakes CAN, and DO, effect the stories I write._


	26. Chapter 25: First 'Season'

_**Ideasguy hit his mark solidly, so I must follow up. At this point, it feels almost like competing threads, which is something I love immensely, and now I must fire back! Nothing like competition. Also, hot damn man, you've written 10 K worth of side content! I feel so lucky!**_

_**I**__**also own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor do I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__** here**__**, is a link to my P A Treon. And if you're looking for something not once a month try **__**here**__**, which is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just some incentive for me. If these links aren't available, check my profiles! Any of em!**_****

**Chapter 25: First 'Season'**

**OR**

**Tis the Season...OF DOOM!**

Izuku looked upward at the massive sign his schooltrain had been stopped in front of, absentmindedly petting the flaming conductor as it panted and huffed.

'WELCOME TO LATIS!' the sign cheerily proclaimed, sporting crude pictures of the sun and a snowflake at each corner.

While the sign wasn't much to really take note of, being even a nice break from the otherwise regular entrance to a forest, it was rather the sheer damage to the surrounding areas around said sign that got their attention. With the view to the right leaving nothing but burnt out husks of trees, the left contrasted greatly with its iced over canopy, looking more like finely-crafted sculptures compared to the few still living examples just beyond them.

Upon the touch of one, Izuku let a hiss of breath escape him as he wretched his hand away from the iced surface. So cold it burnt...

"This...this isn't normal for the area, is it." Izuku cautiously asked his students, holding his hand and carefully moving his fingers as the numbness faded, still taking note at how quickly the feeling had set in from a bare touch.

Megumin and Chris were the first to answer, though each with varying levels of excitement."

"Yes/No." They both said, prompting them to look at one another. After a moment, Chris gave a small nod and let Megumin explain herself.

"Ahem! Such examples of elemental destruction, while damaging to property values, are generally about what you would expect around areas holding Magic institutes. Trees make for wonderful target practice after all, rarely ever scream for help, and you can usually blackmail or bribe other students fix anything you might have also broken along the way. Though it IS odd to see such distinct damage around the entrance to a town, that generally tips off merchant vans to stay away and can drive down property rates..." Megumin explained before trailing off as the thought registered with her.

With a hum of recognition, Izuku turned to Chris for her explanation.

Chris coughed for a moment as she blushed at the attention, but carried on.

"Right, well. Megumin is correct about Mage academy's having such displays of 'elemental destruction', as she said it, I can say for a fact that this area doesn't HAVE a Magic institute around or even near it. They all tend to funnel into Crimson Demon territory, whether due to the higher educational pursuits, or the subsequent mobs chasing them there due to the devastated landscapes that low-experienced Mages tend to leave behind." Chris pointed out a bit stiffly, even as Izuku blinked slightly in confusion, before understanding.

Right, no-one really wanted their places destroyed, so they were driven to places that could fix the damages, by choice or not.

Huh. Who knows how long Megumin actually would have been allowed in Axel, if he hadn't moved the school?

In any case, it cemented that this was a warning sign, at least for the moment. Anything else required seeing more.

"We'll go to the town, we need supplies and to see what the situation is anyway. But be aware of anything you think is out of the ordinary or suspicious. In fact, consider this an assignment. Write down everything you see when we're there. Understood?" Izuku decided after a moment of thought, before nodding decisively.

It was against the nature of a Hero to ignore someone in need, doubly so for a possible populous. If it was nothing, then it could be blown off as an important lesson into observing new surroundings, but if it was something serious...

Well, then there were already Hero's here.

""Yes, Izuku-Sensei!"" His students chorused, each with varying levels of enthusiasm.

"Good. Now get ready to head to town while I park the school. And Sheer, stop trying the chop the frozen trees. You'll either chip your axe from the temperature difference or have it shatter on top of you."

"Awwww."

And so they went.

**-2 Hours Later-**

With the school safely 'parked' around about 25 feet from the forest entrance, Izuku and his students made way for the city of Latis. Mari-Sensei was invited as well, but declined under the premise of 'not wanting to deal with Magical shenanigans from anyone other than herself or her students.' Which, really, would be fair in most other professions as well.

Still, after about another half hour of walking through a forest path, the town of Latis was revealed. It was...different, from Axel.

The buildings themselves tended to be simple things, one story at the most and being almost oval shaped, leading into an almost circular central market that could be seen from every angle. Color wise however, is where things went odd.

Every building, without seeming rhyme or reason, was either a blinding orange or a near cyan blue color, which would have been nice in moderation, but certainly not the case here.

It took a moment to adjust to the garish sights, but it was possible, so on they went.

As they actually entered the market however...

"Ah! Look! New faces to our humble abode!"

"Ooh! You're right! Hey, want to buy our genuine Winter Goggles! It'll let you see through the thickest of snowstorms!"

"Phht! They don't need stinkin' Winter Goggles, they need my Summer Sarong! Why bother beating the heat when you can fire it at your enemies!"

"PLEASE! They don't need either of your shit products! These look like high-tier Adventurers here in our little podunk! What they need is some ice cold refreshment from their long journey! Behold! Never-Melt Fruitjuice! Buy one and you'll drink it forever!* *warning forever consists of 2 day time period, do not consume for more than two hours at a time*

"Get out of here with your flimflamery! A hot meal lets a fine Adventurer conquer the world! Try my Form Blazing Kabab! I guarantee you've never had a spicier flame go down your throat!" The last merchant roared, literally waving around a torch.

The endless parade of shouts and calls of purchase continued to come, even as they closed in, leaving the group no choice but to retreat, lest they be kitted out in useless-sounding items and stripped of their money.

It was only when they slipped between two orange houses further in that they were allowed a reprieve, narrowly escaping the Used Horse salesman who had been literally chasing them down for a product demonstration.

"Haah, haaaah, I've, ah, never seen such targeted marketing!" Andrew wheezed out as he plucked a small 'capture' arrow from his back, before getting smacked upside the head by Ivy for the terrible pun.

The woman in question herself was smelling like most types of flowers under the sun and quite a few normally buried in caves. It wasn't a good mix, and the sooner Ivy could take a dirt nap, the better. Until then, she had to make due to utterly ignoring everything wrong with the moment, even as she tugged Sheer along, who, while still stoic faced as usual, expressed his own shock through the clenching and re-clenching of his hands, along with just how shaky his pupils were.

Izuku, meanwhile, while not panting, was busy carrying Chris and Megumin, if both for different reasons.

Chris froze up upon being met with the gold hungry horde, and had to be carried away. Megumin though...

Izuku could FEEL the excitement and stars around her form when a merchant called out, swinging a 'Staff of Sunfire', able to increase Fire Damage by 27%. All for a few million Eris.

So, it was a bit self-explanatory why a tactical retreat was in order.

"Okay...so, something's definitely up here, right?" Ivy spoke out semi-casually, even as Andrew plucked the last 'arrow' out, and cautiously looked out the alley, ducking back quickly as a small rocket whizzed past where his head had been.

"Yes. But don't think too harshly of them, they need the money." A voice suddenly spoke out from the end of alley they were in, making the group freeze for a moment, before snapping to attention to face the voice, Izuku instantly setting the girls to their feet.

At the end of the alley, sitting casually against the wall, was a small child-sized figure in a cloak, eating what looked like some kind of fruit. Not an apple, from the purple color, but something close to it?

"After all, The Winter Shogun and The Summer Sultan both demand patronage."

END OF CHAPTER

_**ORIGINAL ARC BOYS, WE GETTIN REAL! Also posted Ideaguy's stuff for this story over on FAnfic now, so now everyone can share in the fun! And as always, he has some...**_**influence.**


	27. Chapter 26: Second 'Season'

_**God damn it, I promise you all updates soon then wait half a month to actually update ANYTHING? It's disgraceful. Between editing for other people, getting swept up in hearthstone, and going back to work... well, I hope you understand the delay.**_

_**I still own none of the properties I write about here. I don't claim to, nor do I ever. What I do own is the time I use to write, and any bits thrown towards me help me write for longer, as well as eat while doing so. Available**__** here**__**, is a link to my P A Treon. And if you're looking for something not once a month try **__**here**__**, which is a link to a pool, for those of you looking to commission or just some incentive for me. If these links aren't available, check my profiles! Any of em!**_

_**More will finally come however, and now it's time to satisfy those cravings you've probably been feeling.**_

_**Chapter 26: Second 'Season'**_

_**OR**_

_**He's Mister Heat Miser, He's Mister Sun... He's Mister Freeze Miser, He's Mister Snow**_

The crowd of wandering Adventurers surrounded the mysterious child, who even now kept leaning against the wall, now finishing their fruit and tossing it's pit off to the side.

"Who...are the Summer Sultan and Winter Shogun?" Izuku asked hesitantly, wondering if Villains had taken residence in the city. Crime was a universal concept after all...

If the kid carried about any of this hesitance, he didn't show it, merely shrugging in his too big cloak.

"You're asking the wrong question there. It's not 'who' they are, it's 'what', Y'see, they's Elemental's." The kid chuckled, even as Megumin scoffed.

"Impossible! The names alone point them as being literal opposites, and I don't see a single sign of snow in the air! To say nothing of the absurdity of Elemental's having such a pull over a full town with no-one coming to investigate." Megumin denied, waving her hand in the air as she stared down the child, nearly eye to covered-eye with them.

The smile that seemed so wide on the kids face faded into a small smirk, looking less out of joy and more from habit.

"You really don't know where you are, do you. Hell, from the look on your friends face there, he barely even understands what I just said, does he?" The kid spoke, his head looking towards Izuku who still had a contemplative look on his face. After a moment, he found no objections if it meant getting answers.

"No, I honestly don't. From the context, and what I know before now, Elemental's are something like facets of nature moving around or causing problems because of changes to their areas, right? I'm just trying to understand why having them here causes such a problem, and why it would be impossible." Izuku admitted.

It wasn't even that Izuku couldn't imagine Spirits and Elemental's causing problems, not when they were the main contributor to why the Cabbage Migration had to be stopped or at least stymied. The problem was that this seemed to be a new problem, with the Elementals themselves as instigators.

The kid shook his head, clicking his tongue as he stood up from his seated position, but still leaned back on the building, as if for support.

"In any other case, you'd be completely right, but there are a few things you're missing for this one. Our location, the Elemental's themselves, and us townsfolk." The kid explained, raising up 3 fingers, revealing his skin to be a darker tanned color.

"This town, Latis? We rest on smack dab in the middle of the North and Southern Equator, a feat gifted to us by following the Divine Being Latis, who's since passed. This makes us the one place where both 'Hot' and 'Cold' Elements can exist naturally in the entirety of Belzerg, or so some of our priests figured. This alone would be tricky, attracting trouble and horrifying beings who could use this little detail to devastating effect, so we keep it a close secret. That...that was our first mistake." The kid seemed pained to explain the last bit, shifting against the wall in a way that either displayed discomfort or was him scratching his back.

"Elemental's are being that don't go by human logic, or really care about Human problems...in most cases. Despite not really being 'living' creatures with blood or brains, they still...learn is a bad way to put it. Adapt, that could work. They adapt to tactics that work against them. And because they so often come into conflict with Humans, or human-adjacent species, those strong or lucky enough to survive tend to copy what they see...within their worldview. An Ice elemental sees a group of warriors being lead by the strongest to cull their numbers, thus they seek to subjugate and put its fellow Spirits under its employ, gaining their power and outfitting itself with powerful armor like its foes. Thus a Winter Shogun is Formed. A Fire Elemental, meanwhile, could become entranced with the control and connections or a support role, and begin to apply subtlety to its previously wild fire. From this control its and its fellows flames grow brighter and hotter than any other, becoming a Summer Sultan." The kid's face was grave now, explaining the roles and transformations with small pictures in the dirt road.

The first showed a small snowflake watching a triumphant adventurer, before seemingly stuffing his face with smaller snowflakes. The first flake then seemed to grow, and got the same sword the adventurer was holding. The second was a small ball watching someone spark a campfire. Then the small ball seemed to do the same motion, making another smaller ball, as the first grew what looked like either a wick or a scarf, it was hard to tell.

"Wait, if Elemental's never really die, and they can get that dangerous that easily, why haven't we seen more damage, or any warnings about such large scale threats." Izuku was quick to point out, as Chris seemed to be miming out the small dirt comic to Sheer.

The kid merely scoffed.

"And there we go to point three. We're a bunch of no-name bumpkins too far out from anything to meaningfully trade with and aren't even worth the amount of time and resources it would take for the Demon King's Army to clean up and maintain. No one would come if we put up a Quest because people would see the distance and amount as either too low or a trap for the gullible. Trust me, a few of us have tried. We even went personally to a Guild hall to try and get help, but were laughed out when people just like little miss Magic over there dismissed or laughed that it was impossible." The kid sneered at Megumin, who bared her teeth right back before being bopped on the head by Izuku.

"The only good side to all this is how fucking gullible Elemental's apparently are when they have your lives completely under their ownership. It only took a few displays before they thought it was completely normal for rulers or people of high standing to give useful or magical items to those beneath them. Even painted our houses nice and clearly so they know who was what side. The problem them was that they also somehow understand material costs. Now we're in a catch-22 of being gifted things we barely need to random passersby in hopes of getting enough gold to fuck off for good. To say nothing of those bastards who've honestly forgotten why they were even competing against each other. The kid, who had passionately been explaining all of this before hand, seemed to deflate.

"That...that's terrible. There must be some way we can help you all!" Andrew hissed out, looking like he was about to storm out the alley and throw his money pouch at someones face. Before he could move a step however, Izuku grabbed a hold of his arm, stopping any sudden movements.

"I'm sorry for everything that's happened, and I'm thankful for you explaining what you know about such a sensitive topic. But all of this seems like a lot to be explaining to random strangers you had just met, especially in regards to what we can do about it." Izuku spoke back, eyes resolute as he stared at the cloaked kid.

He chuffed out a laugh, or it would have been if there was any amusement in it.

"Was I that obvious? Yeah, I guess that was a bit much. After I went so far to look cool too..." The Kid muttered for a second before unsteadily leaving the wall for first time, tearing back his hood as Izuku merely blinked, taking note of Ivy gasping behind him.

The kid was an elf. Or, at least, he had pointed ears, each with a duel piercing, which contrasted nicely with his indeed tanned skin and stark red eyes. He also looked like he couldn't have been older than 7 or 8, cementing him in Izuku's view as a kid.

"If I hadn't been scavenging through the forest as your monstrosity of bone and flame barreled across the countryside, I'd have left you to had your coin-purses emptied and your hands full of semi-to-useless items. But I was, so here I am, coming to you and your most likely disciples of Evil with my request. Please, in return for my, Chrul the Dark Elf's life's service, bring me to the Spring King and Fall President so I might finally free Latis from this fate!" The child, Chrul, all but pleaded as he dropped to his knees, followed by his head to the ground.

A quiet breeze blew through the alleyway, utterly quiet beyond the merchants in the background bemoaning their missing of the customers.

With simple steps, Izuku went to the prostrating, knelled down, and put a hand on his shoulder.

With a startled gasp at the sudden touch, Chrul looked upward at resolute eyes, a small smile on his face.

"You don't have to worry anymore, Chrul. Why?" Izuku asked, as if reading the child's mind.

He then grinned the brightest smile Chrul had ever seen before.

"Because we are Heroes. And We, Are. **Here**."

For the first time in his life...Chrul decided he made the right choice.

END OF CHAPTER

_**WOO, Back in the saddle! Good to feel the emotion to!**_


End file.
